meal prep weekend | morrocan chickpea stew from triathlete magazine + making soup a meal

Soup is in my year-round dinner rotation: formulas simply depend on temperature. These brothy fixtures tick several boxes off as far as nutrition goes, so long as you don’t overload on dairy or unnecessary fats whilst concocting your own spoonable potion. With so much concern and consciousness about immunity at present, and for bulking up on food supplies to limit grocery trips, soups and stews are perfect dishes to combat these unwanted variables.

First off, water-based soups aid in hydration, which is markedly crucial when battling sniffles or something worse. I hardly want to drink plain water when my throat stings, and find it much easier to sip flavored broths to soothe the scratchiness. Usually, soups contain a bevvy of spices, herbs, and sometimes citrus, all of which tend to provide antioxidants and vitamins that soothe inflammation and gentle symptoms.

Soup itself, though, sometimes doesn’t provide an ample portion for a meal. That’s when you phone a friend or two. I usually throw things like pasta, potatoes, rice, or sweet potatoes in my soups to add carbohydrates and further nutrients, but you can also opt to keep these on the side and flavor them however you please. Pasta and rice can be finicky if you wind up with leftovers, so if you plan to cook large potions for the week, I’d separate the grains from the liquid to avoid a mush party.

What to serve with soup to complete the meal:

• Side salad with fresh vegetables of choice and vinaigrette
• Whole grain bread or baguette with avocado slices, pesto, melted mozzarella, or hummus
• Tortillas or tortilla chips (if making a taco soup, for example)
• Steamed seasoned vegetables
• Rice pilafs
• Soft boiled eggs (particularly good with miso or oriental-flavored soups)
• Cold or warm pasta salads with olives, vegetables, feta cheese, and lemon vinaigrette

This week’s meal prep came courtesy of Triathlete Mag’s Moroccan Stew. I prepared some chicken separate for J and kept my portion as the recipe was written, and paired both with brown rice.

To everyone full of doubt and distress –

Venturing East is here to provide a space of comfort and normalcy for those who feel internally displaced, weary, and worried. I do not intend to operate otherwise. Wherever you are in the world, be kind, be mindful, and be safe.