This vegan tagine is packed with Moroccan spices and vibrant veggies! Serve this flavorful stew over couscous or with pita bread for a comforting and delicious meal you'll want to enjoy again and again.
Vegetable stews are in regular rotation in my house during the colder months. We love cozying up with a big bowl of portobello "beef" stew or smoky chickpea stew on a chilly evening. This year I'm adding a new stew to the rotation: Moroccan tagine. Tagine is absolutely perfect for winter dinners, not only because it's hearty and comforting, but also because it's filled with delicious warming spices.
Tagine is a Moroccan stew that gets its name from the vessel that it's cooked in, which is an earthenware pot known as...you guessed it, a tagine.
Fortunately, you don't need an actual tagine to make the stew (but if you happen to have one, use it!). It cooks up just as well in a large skillet or Dutch oven. The only real requirement is that you're able to cover the pot while it cooks, whether that be with a fitted lid or some foil.
Lots of traditional tagines are made with meat, but today I'm sharing a recipe for a vegan tagine that features an abundance of hearty vegetables, chickpeas, dried apricots and olives. It's an unusual combination, but I promise it's a delicious one. And the process for making vegetable tagine is pretty darn simple.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil. Another high heat oil could be used in a pinch.
- Onion.
- Red bell pepper.
- Carrots.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Ras el hanout. This is a Moroccan spice blend that contains ingredients like cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, and black pepper. Most stores sell it in the spice aisle, or you can buy it online. If you have all of the ingredients you can even try mixing your own blend using a recipe such as this one.
- Butternut squash. If you'd like to switch things up, feel free to swap this out with another sweet winter squash like delicata or acorn squash, or even use some sweet potato instead.
- Chickpeas.
- Vegetable broth.
- Diced tomatoes. We're using canned tomatoes to make life easy.
- Tomato paste.
- Dried apricots. Another type of dried fruit can be used if preferred. Dates would work really well.
- Lemon juice.
- Lemon zest.
- Green olives. These can be omitted if you're an olive hater, but I'd recommend substituting another salty/sour ingredient to give contrast to the sweetness of the veggies and dried apricots. Preserved lemons are often used in traditional tagine and would make a great choice.
- Salt and pepper.
- Fresh cilantro.
Tip: While you can certainly enjoy this tagine on it's own, it's best when paired with an accompaniment like couscous or pita bread. Plain vegan yogurt also makes a great topping.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Heat your oil in a pot, then add diced onion, bell pepper, and sliced carrots. Cook the veggies for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften. Make sure to give them a stir from time to time.
Add minced garlic, grated ginger, and ras el hanout to the pot. Sauté the mixture briefly, just until it becomes very fragrant. Make sure to keep stirring so that nothing burns!
Add diced butternut squash, chickpeas, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, and chopped dried apricots to the pot. Give it a stir, raise the heat, and bring it to a boil.
Lower the heat so the liquid is just simmering, then cover the pot. Let your vegan tagine cook for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are tender.
Take the pot off of heat and stir in the olives, lemon juice and zest. Season it with some salt and pepper to taste.
Your vegan tagine is ready to serve! Enjoy it over couscous or with some pita bread.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegetable tagine will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days, or in the freezer for about three months.
More Comforting Stews & Soups
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📖 Recipe
Moroccan Vegan Vegetable Tagine
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 ½ tablespoons ras el hanout, or to taste (Note 1)
- 2 cups diced butternut squash (½-inch)
- 2 (15 ounce/425 gram) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce/411 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup green olives
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked couscous or pita bread, for serving
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, and ras el hanout. Sauté the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Add the butternut squash, chickpeas, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and dried apricots. Stir the mixture to combine everything, then raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Lower the heat so that the liquid is at a low simmer, then cover the pot. Let the mixture cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Make sure to occasionally uncover the pot and give it a stir while the stew simmers.
- Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and olives. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over couscous or with pita bread and top with a sprinkle of chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
- I recommend starting with 1 ½ tablespoons of ras el hanout and adding more towards the end of cooking, after giving the stew a taste-test.
- Nutrition information does not include couscous or pita bread.
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In the notes it says: recommend starting with 1 ½ tablespoons and adding more towards the end of cooking, after giving the stew a taste-test. What ingredient are you referring to? Thank you
It's the ras el hanout. There's a parenthetical reference to Note 1 next to it in the ingredients list. I've updated the note to clarify! Thanks for asking!
Absolutely delicious. I don't like onions, so I used a teaspoon or so.of powder instead of fresh. Also a lot more res el hanout, but I do like spice. Highly recommend.