Moroccan lamb and chickpea soup

Published June 2026 | 3 min read
Expert contributor: Gabrielle Zammit, HCF Health Coach and accredited practising dietitian
Words by Alana Wulff

Warm up with this nourishing soup recipe, plus discover simple ways to cook wholesome winter food to support immunity, boost energy and keep your mood steady.

As the temperature drops and we spend more time indoors, it can be tempting to reach for heavy winter comfort foods.

Accredited practising dietitian and HCF Health Coach Gabrielle Zammit shares her top tips for fuelling your body with warming, nutrient-dense meals that are easy to prepare (and, yes, a great soup recipe should be on your list). 

Why winter nutrition matters

“In winter, colds and flu are rampant,” says Gabrielle. “So, doing what you can with nutrition to boost your immune system can help reduce your risk of getting sick.”

She says the more variety of fruits and vegetables you eat, the broader the range of nutrients you get – helping you cover your bases.

Gabrielle says this variety also plays an important role in mental wellbeing. “Gut health is a key regulator of your mental health,” she explains. “If you can nourish your gut with food, it can have a positive impact on your mood.”

Tips to boost nutrition in winter

Try these easy, budget-friendly ways to add more nutrients to your winter meals without spending extra time in the kitchen.

Cook with seasonal produce

Gabrielle recommends keeping meals simple and more affordable by cooking with seasonal produce. “If you get seasonal fruits and vegies, they’re generally a bit more nutritious because they haven’t been stored as long,” she says.

Her winter favourites include:

• pumpkin
• sweet potato
• carrot
• cauliflower
• broccoli
• leeks
• leafy greens.

Choose meals that are easy to batch cook and freeze

Slow-cooked dishes like soups, stews, curries and casseroles are good winter food staples, because they’re nutrient-dense, budget-friendly and ideal for batch cooking.

You can save time by chopping vegetables in advance or using a slow cooker to have dinner ready by evening.

Bulk up meals with frozen and canned vegetables

“Frozen vegies are great because they’re frozen quickly after being picked and retain their nutrition quite well,” Gabrielle explains. “This makes them a good option to help bulk your meals with nutrients and fibre, plus they’re low cost and low prep.”

She also recommends canned legumes as they’re a good source of protein, affordable and require no preparation. “You can just crack the tin open and chuck them in.”

Experiment with meats and whole grains

When looking for healthy winter food recipes, Gabrielle recommends soups and stews, as they make it easy to add wholesome ingredients like barley, quinoa or pearl couscous, which are “packed with fibre and other micronutrients”.

She also suggests choosing leaner cuts of meat for slow cooking. “Go for the less fatty cuts of meat because a lot of the stewing meat can be quite high in saturated fat,” she says. “Rump and blade steak are just two of the leaner, budget-friendly meats that are good for slow cooking.”

Need nutritional support? Eligible members can save on the 12-week or get access to the 16-week evidence-based CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet^* at no extra cost, which combines a high-protein, low-GI eating plan with exercise and proven weight management tools to help improve habits and create lifelong positive behaviours.

Moderate alcohol intake and boost vitamin D

Comfort eating is often accompanied by comfort drinking, says Gabrielle. She advises following the Australian alcohol guidelines, which recommend healthy adults drink no more than:

• 10 standard drinks a week
• four standard drinks on any one day.

For tips and support to cut back on drinking, check out the free Daybreak app, which connects you anonymously with an online peer community to help you change your relationship with alcohol. Eligible HCF members can also be referred to additional mental health support through Daybreak^{^}.

When the sun is out, Gabrielle recommends heading outside for a controlled dose of vitamin D. “There are foods like some fish, mushrooms and eggs that contain vitamin D, but to meet the recommended daily intake, you really do need to get outside or take a supplement.”

Moroccan lamb and chickpea soup

For a warming and hearty dish packed with nutrients and vitamins, try this Moroccan lamb and chickpea soup recipe from AFL player Christian Petracca's cookbook On Trac.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 500g lamb mince
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 400g tinned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 400g tinned crushed tomatoes
• 750ml (3 cups) chicken stock
• 1 bunch English spinach or baby spinach, roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the spices

• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt

To serve

• Chilli flakes
• 4 tbsp plain Greek-style yoghurt
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Handful of coriander leaves, chopped

Method

1. Combine the spices in a small bowl.
2. Heat a large saucepan over a high heat, then add the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the mince to the pan and cook, breaking up any clumps of meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes or until browned. Once the meat is lightly browned, add the spice mix and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
4. Add the carrot, zucchini, chickpeas, tomatoes and stock. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer, then cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the carrot is tender yet still slightly firm.
5. Fold in the spinach and allow it to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the consistency with some water, if desired.
6. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top each bowl with chilli flakes, a tablespoon of yoghurt, lemon juice and a generous garnish of coriander leaves.

Get expert support for raising healthy eaters

Looking for more healthy meal ideas for your family? We’ve partnered with Ethos Health to bring our members⁺ Healthy Families for Life and Healthy Teens for Life, which are resources to support kids, from birth to teens, to develop positive nutritional habits for growth and development and reduce the risk of chronic conditions in their future. Eligibility criteria apply⁺.