This Moroccan Instant-Pot Vegetable Beef Soup is a medley of warm, robust flavors.
If you’re the type of person who loves easy, no-fuss dinners, big, bold flavors, and a meal that just so happens to freeze really well, this Moroccan vegetable beef soup is going to make you feel like you found the pot of gold at the end of the foodie rainbow.
This is the kind of dish that tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen when it actually only took about 30 minutes. And, the Instant Pot did all the heavy lifting (shh, it can be our secret). This soup is hearty without being heavy, flavored with sweet and warm spices like cinnamon, cumin, and smoked paprika, and it’s loaded with good-for-you veggies that amp up the nutritional profile.
This is the soup you make when you’re craving something warm and filling, but need it done fast. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or meal prep, but also fancy enough to serve to your friends—and let’s be real, the smell alone will have people asking for the recipe.
Is This Moroccan Instant-Pot Vegetable Beef Soup Healthy?
This soup has plenty of healthy components that make it a great part of a balanced diet. It’s full of fresh veggies—eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and cauliflower—that add a nice dose of vitamins and minerals to the recipe, including plenty of fiber and other antioxidants. The homemade cauliflower rice stands in place of traditional couscous or rice, which are commonly served with a soup or stew like this. And while you are certainly free to enjoy it with those things, the cauli rice swap means a lower calorie and carb count overall.
Grass-fed beef also tends to have more omega-3 fatty acids and less overall fat compared to grain-fed beef. This recipe uses an 85% lean mix (meaning the meat has a 15% fat content), which contains less fat than you’d find in, say, an 80/20 mixture. However, it still contains some saturated fat, so that is something to keep in mind. Depending on the type of beef broth you use, you may also want to watch the sodium content, if that’s relevant to your diet.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This stew checks all the boxes. It’s rich, flavorful, and ridiculously easy to make. The blend of Moroccan-inspired spices makes every bite sing. Cinnamon and cumin might sound like an odd pairing at first, but they actually go perfectly together. The warm, slightly sweet notes of cinnamon complement the rich, earthy profile of cumin in a way that makes this dish irresistible. The smoked paprika adds a touch of smokiness, while allspice gives it more subtle, sweet depth. It’s a remarkably complex flavor that tastes like it spent hours simmering on the stovetop. And, these ingredients are all easy to find in most grocery stores—assuming you don’t already have them in your pantry. It’s the perfect way to transform simple ingredients into something truly extraordinary.
How To Make Ahead And Store
Let the stew cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. You can store in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, ladle the soup into individual portions in freezer-safe containers and freeze them for up to 3 months. You can reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave when you’re ready to eat.
Serving Suggestions
You can really just go to town on this soup all by itself. But, if you want to get fancy, a crusty slice of bread to dip in it is sure to hit the spot. And if Moroccan flavors are your jam, you’ve got to try this Moroccan Breakfast Casserole, Moroccan Chicken Skillet, and Moroccan Roasted Acorn Squash Soup.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound grass-fed 85% lean ground beef
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 6 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 4 cups cauliflower cut into florets
- 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant cut into 1 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
- 1 large zucchini sliced into half moons (about 2 cups)
- 5 cups beef broth (not reduced-sodium)
- 2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes (14 ounces each)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 3/4 cup cilantro roughly chopped and packed
- 5 tablespoons fresh mint thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil on "Sauté" mode in your Instant Pot. Add the beef and cook until it's almost fully cooked, about 4 minutes. Add in the onion, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and allspice and cook until the onions begin to soften and the beef is golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- While the beef cooks, place the cauliflower into a large food processor and pulse until the consistency of rice.
- Once the beef is done, add the cauliflower rice to the Instant Pot, along with all the other ingredients up to the cilantro and mint. Stir until well combined.
- Cover the Instant Pot (make sure the lid is set to "Sealing") and turn to Manual (it should automatically be set to high pressure). Set it for 7 minutes and let the Instant Pot do its thing. Once cooked, let pressure release naturally.
- Once the pressure is released, stir in the cilantro and mint and season to taste with additional salt.
- Enjoy!
Has anyone tried this in the crockpot or stovetop instead of using an instant pot? What conversions did you use?
Hi Summer,
I haven’t tried, but see below some ideas on how to adapt the recipe:
– For stovetop: Begin by browning the beef in a large pot over medium heat, then add onion and spices and cook until the beef is cooked through. Add the remaining ingredients (except cilantro and mint), bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in cilantro and mint before serving.
– For crockpot: Brown the beef with onion and spices on the stovetop first, then transfer to a crockpot. Add all other ingredients (except cilantro and mint) and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Stir in cilantro and mint before serving.
Hope helps!