Lamb Chickpea Stew with Butternut Mash

Hello, welcome to Sunday Supper. Today we have a hearty, delicious stew perfect for a chilly Sunday. This stew has such great Middle Eastern flavor and texture, with lamb meatballs, chickpeas, stewed tomatoes and soft onions; all atop a fluffy serving of sweet and savory roasted, mashed butternut squash. The stew is seasoned with za’atar, a Middle Eastern seasoning blend that includes the herb za’atar along with sumac, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, marjoram and oregano. Lamb Chickpea Stew with Butternut Mash is pretty quick and easy. It’s a beautifully colorful dish that I can’t wait to make again! Let’s do it.

Roasted Butternut Squash

We will start with roasting the butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice a 2-2.5 pound butternut squash in half and scrape out any seeds. Lightly coat the cut side of the squash with olive oil and place cut-side down on a sheet tray. You can line the sheet tray with foil or parchment, if you like.

Roast the butternut on the center rack for 35-40 minutes, until the flesh is soft and tender. You can push on the skin with your finger to test for doneness. The squash should give easily and feel soft to the touch.

While the butternut is roasting, gather the rest of your ingredients. The seasoning is simple. We have za’atar, optional red pepper flakes, onion and garlic. We have 1 can of stewed tomatoes and one can of chickpeas. Let’s make the meatballs.

Lamb Meatballs

In a medium bowl, place 1 pound of ground lamb. You can use beef if you prefer. Season the ground meat with 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (3/4 tsp. if using table salt) and 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper. Lightly mix the seasoning into the ground lamb with your hands. Try not to over mix the meat into a paste. Form the seasoned ground lamb into 16 meatballs – about 2 tablespoons of meat per meatball.

In a Dutch oven, heat about 1.5 tablespoons of grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the 16 meatballs to the pot and brown them on all sides. Don’t worry about cooking them through at this point. They will finish cooking in the stew. When browned on all sides, transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside.

Building the Lamb Chickpea Stew

In the Dutch oven there should be a bit of fat leftover. We will bloom the za’atar seasoning and cook the onions in this fat. So, add the za’atar and red pepper flakes to the pot. Stir to bloom the spices for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then add the sliced onion to the pot with a generous pinch of kosher salt and sauté the onions just until they’re soft, but not totally translucent.

By the time the onions are cooking, the squash should be ready. If it is, pull it out of the oven and let it cool a bit. Leave the oven on and be sure there is enough clearance to place the covered Dutch oven in the oven.

When the onions are soft, add the minced garlic to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir to combine and cook the garlic for about 30 seconds. Now add the full can of stewed tomatoes and their juices. Then add the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Add the meatballs back to the pot.

Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 20 minutes. While the stew is in the oven, let’s mash the butternut.

Butternut Mash

Scoop the flesh out of the butternut skin into a medium bowl. Add the 1/4 cup of salted butter and use a spoon to mash the butternut and melt the butter. Taste for seasoning and add kosher salt to taste.

After 20 minutes in the oven pull out the stew. The lamb meatballs are cooked through when the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.

Lamb Chickpea Stew with Butternut Mash

Let’s plate up our Lamb Chickpea Stew with Butternut Mash. Scoop a serving of the butternut mash into a wide shallow bowl. Then ladle on a serving of the Lamb Chickpea Stew.

Garnish the dish with fresh cilantro leaves.

This stew is no slouch in the flavor and texture department. Seasoned so simply, yet so flavorful and robust. The butternut mash is sweet, savory and pillowy soft. It’s the perfect bed for the stew, which is rich and hearty, but not at all heavy. The flavorful lamb and za’atar give this dish a really wonderful, warming Middle Eastern flavor. Perfect for chilly fall and winter days. I do hope you make this Lamb Chickpea Stew with Butternut Mash, it’s a really beautiful Sunday Supper. If you’re looking for a chicken dish with Middle Eastern flavors, try Preserved Lemon Chicken. I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend, xo Kelly

Key Equipment and Ingredients

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Lamb Chickpea Stew with Butternut Mash

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Dinner, Main Course – Middle Eastern

By Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 25 Minutes – Cooking Time: 35 Minutes – Total Time: ~1 Hour

Colorful and gorgeously flavored with za'atar, this Lamb Chickpea Stew with Butternut Mash is hearty and rich but not at all heavy.

Ingredients

• 1 2-2.5 lb. Butternut Squash
• 1 lb. Ground Lamb (or Beef)
• 1 tbsp. Za'atar Seasoning Mix
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Onion, sliced thinly
• 4-5 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 14.5-oz. Can Stewed Tomatoes, plus their juices
• 1 15-oz. Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup Butter, at room temperature
• Fresh Cilantro Leaves

Instructions

Roasted Butternut

1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice a 2-2.5 pound butternut squash in half and scrape out any seeds. Lightly coat the cut side of the squash with olive oil and place cut-side down on a sheet tray. You can line the sheet tray with foil or parchment, if you like.

2

Roast the butternut on the center rack for 35-40 minutes, until the flesh is soft and tender. You can push on the skin with your finger to test for doneness. The squash should give easily and feel soft to the touch. Pull the butternut from the oven but leave the oven on. Let the butternut cool until it's easy to handle.

Lamb Meatballs

3

In a medium bowl, place 1 pound of ground lamb. You can use beef if you prefer. Season the ground meat with 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (3/4 tsp. if using table salt) and 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper. Lightly mix the seasoning into the ground lamb with your hands. Try not to over mix the meat into a paste. Form the seasoned ground lamb into 16 meatballs - about 2 tablespoons of meat per meatball.

Lamb Chickpea Stew

4

In a Dutch oven, heat about 1.5 tablespoons of grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the 16 meatballs to the pot and brown them on all sides. Don't worry about cooking them through at this point. They will finish cooking in the stew. When browned on all sides, transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside.

5

Add the za'atar and red pepper flakes to the fat in the pot over medium heat. Stir to bloom the spices for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then add the sliced onion to the pot with a generous pinch of kosher salt and sauté the onions just until they're soft, but not totally translucent.

6

When the onions are soft, add the minced garlic to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir to combine and cook the garlic for about 30 seconds. Now add the full can of stewed tomatoes and their juices. Then add the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Add the meatballs back to the pot.

7

Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 20 minutes. While the stew is in the oven, mash the butternut.

8

Scoop the flesh out of the butternut skin into a medium bowl. Add the 1/4 cup of salted butter and use a spoon to mash the butternut and melt the butter. Taste for seasoning and add kosher salt to taste.

9

After 20 minutes in the oven pull out the stew. The lamb meatballs are cooked through when the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.

10

Scoop a serving of the butternut mash into a wide shallow bowl. Then ladle on a serving of the Lamb Chickpea Stew.

11

Garnish the dish with fresh cilantro leaves.

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