One Dish Dinner: Moroccan Lamb Stew with White Beans

I usually make a one-dish wonder at least once a week and this Moroccan Lamb Stew with White Beans, Fennel and Carrots has always been a big hit with my family. My 15-year old son loves it so much that he made this particular recipe all by himself, which goes to show you it is not at all difficult to make.

If you are not familiar with Moroccan cooking, the dishes are often somewhat exotic and almost always big on flavor, aroma and spice. Although I wouldn’t necessarily classify the Moroccan Lamb Stew as exotic, it most definitely incorporates a unique combination of bold flavors, especially from cumin and cinnamon. While the spice combo of cumin and cinnamon might not normally be one you would think would work, it does work and it really gives the stew such incredible depth of flavor.

All of the ingredients in the stew are pretty straight forward, but the one ingredient you may not be familiar with is the organic unrefined red palm oil. This is an optional ingredient and you can always substitute extra virgin olive oil instead, but if you are into clean eating and have not yet added organic unrefined red palm oil to your pantry staples I would definitely suggest you check it out! A superfood oil, organic unrefined red palm oil is not at all the same as the refined palm oil we tell you to avoid in our book.  Unrefined red palm oil is used extensively in authentic African cooking and is a highly nutritious and incredibly antioxidant-rich oil (and it really is red in color by the way, the antioxidants are what make it so colorful!) Although it won’t change the flavor of your Moroccan Stew Recipe, if you plan to buy the oil for your pantry staples, this would be the perfect recipe to try it out!

One Dish Dinner: Moroccan Lamb Stew with White Beans

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• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 8

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds pasture-raised lamb shoulder, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup sprouted spelt flour (such as One Degree Organics) OR gluten-free buckwheat flour
• 3 tablespoons organic, unrefined red palm oil OR extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups hot filtered water
• 2 leeks, slit lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 stalks fennel, thinly sliced
• 5 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup raisins (either black or yellow)
• Unrefined sea salt, to taste
• Juice from 1 whole lemon plus lemon zest for garnish
• 2 cans (15 ounces) small white beans, rinsed and drained
• Fresh thyme, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Coat the lamb in the flour and shake off any excess.
2. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the lamb cubes and lightly brown on all sides, about 5 or 6 minutes (Note: do not cook the lamb all the way through.) Remove the lamb cubes with a slotted spoon, transfer to a large plate and set aside.
3. Heat the same saucepan over low heat, add the garlic and stir for a few seconds. Stir in the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf; toast the spices for 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the hot water and stir to scrape any brown bits. Return the meat to the pan and simmer, stirring, until the liquid thickens, about 5-minutes. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring every now and then, for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, blanch the leeks and fennel in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain the leeks and fennel and transfer to the saucepan with the lamb.
5. Add the carrots, raisins, salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork, 40 to 50 minutes longer. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the beans. Use a zester to add the lemon zest. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve warm.

Did You Make the Moroccan Lamb Stew?

Please be sure to let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #CleanCuisine

Want More Healthy Dinner Recipes?

If you liked the Moroccan Lamb Stew recipe, be sure to check out a full month’s menu of delicious healthy dinner recipes (including weekly shopping lists!) in our Clean Cuisine Dinners digital cookbook.