Moroccan Chickpea Soup and making your own vegetable stock

First, a disclaimer. In the post of this recipe, I was all excited because we'd just had our offer accepted on a house (with an amazing kitchen; priorities, right?), but the inspection wound up discovering some expensive problems, and we just couldn't come to an agreement after all. So no house. We're currently in the process of striking out on another one. I thought I'd better tell you so you don't click the link and get excited for me, but now I'm just starting to depress myself, so let's move on.

This Moroccan chickpea soup was originally a stew, but I used a bit more stock, because I make my own veggie stock and freeze it in 2-cup amounts (well, and a couple ice-cube trays of a couple tablespoons per cube, which is handy as hell). This is absurdly easy and you need to start doing it, if you don't already. Homemade stock is a) better than storebought, b) cheaper than storebought because you're only using things you already have, and c) a little different each time. Here's what you do:

1. Get a big tupperware and put it in your freezer.

2. Every time you're chopping up a vegetable or garlic, or using some fresh herbs, take the bits that you trim off - stems, leaves, peelings, the end bits of the garlic - and throw 'em into your big tupperware in the freezer. Likewise any vegetable matter that's about to go bad, but hasn't yet (obviously you don't use anything that's gone off or that's got dirt on it). The only things not to throw in are tomatoes, which will make it acidic, and hot peppers.

3. When your tupperware is full, it's time to make the stock. Get out a big ass soup pot and fill it with water.

4. Dump your tupperware out into it, adding any fresh herbs you have banging around the fridge and a smashed clove of garlic.

5. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.

6. Simmer for an hour.

7. Get a strainer and scoop the vegetables out of the stock into it, and mash them over the pot so any juice they might be retaining goes back into the stock. Then you can throw them out, or if you're an advanced human being, compost them.

8. Taste the stock and add about a tablespoon of salt; taste again and add more if you think it needs it.

9. Freeze whatever you're not using right away; I like to do 2-cup increments and a couple ice-cube trays, like I said before, but do whatever works for you.

I find that I tend to use up the last of my stock right as the tupperware becomes full again; perfect!

So say you make a bunch of stock and want to use it in something. How about this Moroccan chickpea stew?

Also - couscous: why not more?