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Moghrabieh stew with parsley in a light beige bowl with a green napkin and spoons on a light blue background
5 from 3 ratings

Lebanese Moghrabieh (Pearl Couscous Stew)

Yield: 6 people
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
A delicious Lebanese stew made up of large pearl couscous known as Moghrabieh, chicken, chickpeas and pearl onions all in an aromatic broth!
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Ingredients
 

For the Broth

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 full chicken legs (1.5 kg), bone-in and skin-on
  • 2 litres water
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 10 cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 1 large carrot
  • 4 large cloves garlice, peeled

For the Moghrabieh

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 600 grams pearl onions, peeled and kept whole
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups moghrabieh, 400 grams
  • 1 tablespoon ground caraway
  • 1/2 teaspoon seven spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 litres chicken broth
  • 540 ml canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Instructions
 

For the Broth

  • Chicken leg quarters browned in a large grey and green stock pot on a marbled background
    In a large pot, add the olive oil on medium high heat. Sear the chicken legs on both sides until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Work in batches if required to avoid overcrowding.
  • Chicken leg quarters, onion pieces, whole garlic cloves and whole carrots in water with cinnamon sticks, pepper corns and bay leaves simmering in a large grey and green stock pot
    Add the onion, carrot, garlic cloves, water, salt, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Cover and bring to a boil.
  • If you see any foam rising to the surface, skim and discard. Continue to boil for at least 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Chicken leg quarters, onion pieces, whole garlic cloves and whole carrots in water with cinnamon sticks, pepper corns and bay leaves simmering in a large grey and green stock pot
    Remove the chicken and set it aside. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables. Set the broth aside.

For the Moghrabieh

  • While the broth cooks, in another medium pot, add the 1/4 cup olive oil on medium heat.
  • caramelized pearl onions in a large pot with a spatula inside, over an induction element
    Add all the peeled pearl onions and brown on all sides, for approximately 6 to 7 minutes. If there is a lot of splatter, cover the pot. Once golden and softened, remove and set aside.
  • moghrabieh pearl couscous uncooked in a large pot with a spatula inside, over an induction plate
    Add the butter to the pot that was used for the onions, then add the dry moghrabieh. Toast the moghrabieh in the butter for a few minutes, stirring.
  • moghrabieh pearl couscous with spices being cooked in a pot, with a spatula inside
    Add in the ground caraway, seven spice, cinnamon, cumin and black pepper and stir through with the moghrabieh for a few more minutes.
  • chicken broth and spices in a large pot
    Add enough chicken broth to cover the moghrabieh. Close the lid and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes until the moghrabieh is soft and chewy.
  • boiled skin on and bone in chicken legs in a blue plate
    Meanwhile, take the meat off the chicken and shred the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.
  • moghrabieh stew with chickpeas, pearl onions and pearl couscous inside a large pot with a spatula
    Once the moghrabieh is cooked, in the same pot used for the chicken stock, add the chickpeas, along with the onions, the shredded chicken and the rest of the chicken broth. The stew should be soupy in consistency. Taste and adjust for more salt. Allow everything to simmer for a few minutes, then remove from the heat.
  • To serve, spoon some of the moghrabieh into individual serving bowls, then spoon a few ladles of the chicken, onion and chickpea stew on top. Garnish with parsley if desired.
  • Moghrabieh stew with chicken in a large grey and green stock pot with a black ladle on a marble background
    The moghrabieh can also be mixed in with the chicken, onions and chickpeas all in one pot. However, doing that will result in a dryer consistency since the moghrabieh will continue to absorb all the soupy broth. Serving the moghrabieh separately is more traditional, but both methods work based on preference.

Notes

  • Moghrabieh can be found at a middle eastern grocery store.
  • The dish can be served with the moghrabieh separately in bowls, then followed by the chicken, chickpeas and onion stew. This way, we avoid the moghrabieh absorbing all the liquid as it sits.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 401kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 2127mg, Potassium: 412mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 2078IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 100mg, Iron: 2mg
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