Moroccan Butternut Chicken Soup is rich with flavor and spices. Chicken, butternut squash and zucchini come together nicely with the spices and couscous for added texture. Garnish your soup with parsley, lemon wedges, crushed red pepper and feta cheese for extra flavor!
MOROCCAN BUTTERNUT CHICKEN SOUP
One of the most popular recipes on my site is this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup. I eat it at least a few times a month.
It is especially perfect for winter–the perfect comfort food. When I saw this Moroccan Butternut Chicken Soup in my Cooking Light Magazine a while ago I knew I had to make it.
This soup did not disappoint.
It is obviously different from the Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil soup–it has chicken in it for one thing, which means it isn’t vegetarian {you can easily leave the chicken out and substitute vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian}.
Moroccan Butternut Chicken Soup also uses vegetables including zucchini and butternut squash. I love the sweet flavor the butternut squash.
My favorite part of the soup, which is also the case for that Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup I mentioned, is the spice combination.
This soup uses cinnamon, cumin, paprika, turmeric, coriander and cayenne red pepper. In my opinion it is one of the best flavor combinations. Rich, warm with a small bit of kick. Another thing I love about this soup is how customizable it is.
You can use whatever type of squash you have on hand along with any vegetables you want. Think of it like a minestrone. You could add in green beans, diced tomatoes–the sky is the limit.
The couscous adds texture to the soup and if you can find whole wheat couscous it becomes even healthier. I have also use quinoa in this soup.
I tend think brown rice would even be a good addition. When it comes to the garnishes I always try something new–lemon wedges, parsley, feta cheese and crushed red pepper are my favorite in this soup.
Cilantro and basil also work great!
As we head into the middle of winter this is the type of soup you want to have simmering on your stove.
It also makes great leftovers for lunches or dinners during the week. You can easily double the recipe.
To make this soup extra easy try using shredded leftover chicken that is already cooked and if you have a Trader Joes use their already cubed butternut squash. It takes the cooking time down to about half.
Not only is this soup a beautiful color it is delicious.
I promise you if you make this soup once you will add it to your rotation. It is now one of my favorite soups to make!
Moroccan Butternut Chicken Soup
Moroccan Butternut Chicken Soup is rich with flavor and spices. Chicken, butternut squash and zucchini come together nicely with the spices and couscous for added texture. Garnish your soup with parsley, lemon wedges, crushed red pepper and feta cheese for extra flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups sweet onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups chicken broth {or vegetable broth}
- 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1/3 cup uncooked couscous
- 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
Optional garnishes:
- Fresh parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Crushed red pepper
- feta cheese
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or stock pot heat the 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until the onion is soft. Add cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cayenne pepper and paprika and continue to sauté for 2 more minutes. Stir in the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato paste, chicken broth and butternut squash. Bring to a boil and then bring down to a simmer and cook for 8-9 minutes. Stir in the couscous and the zucchini and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the couscous is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove and serve in soup bowls with your choice of garnishes. I like to add fresh parsley, lemon, crushed red pepper and feta cheese.
Notes
You can leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian meal.
Try adding quinoa instead of couscous.
You can use extra vegetables like green beans, diced tomatoes or any other kind of squash.
