Vegetable Tagine is a vegetarian Moroccan stew loaded with heady warm spices. Make this with any veg you have – just don’t skimp on the spices!!
This is one of those hidden gems that will please just about everyone. It’s meat-free, gluten-free, low-carb, low calorie, extremely filling AND tasty. Wait – it’s even vegan. Yay vegans!
Vegetable Tagine
Last week, I asked readers what type of recipes they’d like to see more of on RecipeTin Eats this year. The themes in demand were clear: More meat-free, more low calorie, more low-carb.
BUT still insanely tasty of course! And if it could also be made in one-pot, be super-easy, as well as super-quick … well that would be just dandy. 😂
Though I wouldn’t classify it as super-quick, calling for a good 45 minutes cook time to make the vegetables tender and absorb all those wonderful flavours, it’s certainly very easy.
So, this is the first recipe I’m delivering in response to reader demand!
Tagine is a Moroccan stew traditionally cooked in, well, a tagine. This is an earthenware cooking vessel with a cone shaped lid in which steam circulates as it cooks, letting the flavoured condensation drips back down into the stew.
But we’re using a good ole’ Dutch oven today. And it’s ok! 😉
Ingredients in Vegetable Tagine
When you see the load of spices in this, you know your tastebuds are in for a good time. But isn’t it nice when they’re all everyday spices you can find at the grocery store? 🙂
While this has a generous amount of spices in it, it’s not the kapow! flavour like you get in Indian curries. It’s more of a warm spice mix.
The cayenne does add a touch of fire, so just skip it if you don’t want any heat in it at all!
And here’s what goes in the Vegetable Tagine. This one’s all about using what you’ve got, so don’t be concerned if you don’t have all the vegetables!
Here’s what I used:
Chickpeas – This is the only starch in this dish, adding a nice nutty texture and bulks it out. Substitute with any other beans;
Lemon – For a fresh finishing touch, both the zest and juice;
Onion & garlic – The usual flavour base suspects; and
Vegetables – Here, butternut pumpkin/squash, capsicum/bell peppers, green beans, eggplant (aubergine), cauliflower and tomato (which sort of becomes part of the sauce). This is a nice combination of colours and textures that’s in season at the same time, making this a terrifically economical dish.
How to make Vegetable Tagine
A key step here to extract the most flavour out of each vegetable is to pan roast each vegetable individually to get some colour on them before simmering with heavily spice doused liquid. Because after all, as I always say, colour = flavour!
Saute onion and garlic first (our flavour base, as mentioned);
Pan-roast each vegetable individually, just to get some colour on them. We don’t cook them through, we just give them a blush of colour;
Cook the tomato for a minute. This effectively deglazes the pan (ie. gets all the tasty stuff off the bottom of the pan from sautéing the veg into our stew). Then add spices and cook for a minute to let the flavours bloom;
Add all the vegetables back in as well as water. (Yep, water, not stock. In a true tagine, all the flavour comes from the ingredients alone.) The water should almost cover the vegetables, but not quite, remembering that the vegetables will sink as they cook. If you add too much water, you’ll end up with a watery sauce;
Bring to a simmer;
Cook, covered, in the oven for 30 minutes. This is the easiest way, because it requires no stirring. You could also simmer on the stove over a super low heat, but stir gently so the vegetables don’t turn into mush;
Add the green beans and chickpeas, then simmer on the stove for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid. At this stage, the pumpkin and cauliflower are quite soft, partially breaking down, which helps thicken the liquid. It shouldn’t be soupy, but it should be brothy. Trust me when I say – you want that broth!!
Finally, stir through lemon zest and lemon juice. A fresh finishing touch works wonders here to lift and brighten the dish, as it does with many others from a Lentil Soup to Magic Broccoli (aptly named as such because it’s so simple but so good!).
I love how the broth is naturally thickened by the vegetables that are soft cooked so they ever so slightly disintegrate into the sauce. Flavour, flavour, flavour!
What to serve with Vegetable Tagine
For a traditional experience, serve with couscous. I’ve put the post up separately as it’s a handy and quick no-cook side dish for many dishes, not just Morrocan or Middle Eastern food.
With all the flavours going on in the tagine, a plain couscous would be just fine, but I’m not one to say no to a sprinkling of fresh herbs, or dried fruit and nuts!
Alternatives:
Standalone – just a big bowl of this like a really chunky, hearty stew
Any rice (white, brown, basmati, lemon flavoured would also be lovely)
Quinoa
Cauliflower rice (for a very big satisfying low-carb, low calorie meal!)
Homemade or store bought flatbreads for dunking
I’ve also added a dollop of yogurt, a nice and cooling, creamy touch that compliments the rich combination of spices nicely. A sprinkle of slightly predictable coriander/cilantro and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a dusting of extra spice. Because, well, why not? 😇 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Vegetable Tagine
Ingredients
Tagine spice mix:
- 1 tbsp cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds / fennel powder
- 1 tsp cayenne (omit for non-spicy)
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Tagine (Note 1):
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion sliced; (sub any type of onion)
- 1 garlic clove , finely minced
- 800g/1.6lb butternut pumpkin / squash (1/2 a small), peeled, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes
- 1 small eggplant , cut into 2.5cm / 1/2″ cubes
- 1/2 cauliflower head , small, cut into bite size florets
- 1 capsicum / bell pepper , cut into 2.5cm / 1" pieces (red or yellow)
- 2 tomatoes , seeds removed, cut into 1cm / 1/3″ dice
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 400g/ 14oz canned chickpeas , drained
- 200g / 60z green beans , cut into 3.5cm / 1.5" pieces (~2 cups cut)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Garnishes / for serving:
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds , toasted
- 1/4 cup coriander / cilantro , roughly chopped
- Plain yogurt
- Pinch of paprika or cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine Tagine Spice Mix ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-based pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook until onion is wilted (~ 1 1/2 minutes), then remove to a large bowl. Scrape out any remaining garlic bits from pan (so they don't burn).
- Add pumpkin / squash and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until lightly golden on most sides. Remove to same bowl.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil. Cook eggplant for 3 minutes until tinged with gold on most sides, remove to same bowl.
- Add 1 tbsp oil if pot is looking dry. Add capsicum and cauliflower, cook for 2 minutes until the cauliflower is a bit golden on the edges. Remove into bowl.
- Add tomato and cook for 1 minute. Add Spice Mix, stir for 1 minute.
- Add all vegetables back to pot. Add water (it should just about cover the vegetables, they will sink), salt and pepper. Stir, bring to simmer on stove, then transfer to oven for 30 minutes. (Alternatively simmer on low stove, but stir gently otherwise veg may breakdown too much.)
- Remove from oven, add beans and chickpeas. Simmer for 15 minutes uncovered on stove on medium-low to cook the beans and reduce the sauce.
- Stir through lemon juice and zest. The idea here is that some of the veg (butternut, cauliflower) breaks down a bit to slightly thicken the sauce. It also gets thicker left overnight.
- For a traditional experience, serve over couscous. Otherwise, try white, brown, or basmati rice, or quinoa. Or, serve just as is like a chunky stew. For a low-carb option try cauliflower rice! I like to top mine with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkle of almonds, coriander/cilantro and a pinch of paprika or cayenne.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Really doesn’t like his daily post-beach showers. Kind of ironic, isn’t it, that he spent the last hour swimming?
Debbie Bartels says
I have your veggie tagine on this fortnights list of meals I intend to make. It will be interesting as there are members of my family who don’t like pumpkin or eggplant. I have been able to con them by saying that the eggplant is aubergine (they haven’t known that aubergine is another name for eggplant) I could say the pumpkin is sweet potato (it is the same colour) and with all the other flavours they would not know the difference.
By the way I love what you do recipe-wise. You have such a wide range of recipes to choose from and a lot of them are adaptable for my family’s diabetic needs. So definitely do NOT change what you are doing. Just keep in mind that, while a lot of your recipes are adaptable, there are those of us out here that may have special dietary needs. keep on with what you are doing. Love your blog!!!!
david moushey says
Most eggplant dishes I have done require me to salt the eggplant to pull out moisture. Do I need to do that here? I’m trying without salting for my first go around. It looks delicious
Elizabeth says
Hi, I just want to say that I lOVE your website. All the recipes that I have made are so delicious! The recipes are wonderful but the best parts of your website are your articles and the photos of Dozer. Every time I see an email from you, I feel happier, you have no idea how much you and Dozer uplift my day. You are an inspiration and I LOVE Dozer and that fact that you love him so much. Please keep up the good work, I absolutely admire everything you do. Thank you.
Barbara Spencer says
Thank you so much for this recipe. We have been wanting to have meatless meals now and then and love ‘moroccan’ style spices. We reduced the cayenne to 1/4 tsp as we aren’t fond of that type of heat and served it with cauliflower rice which we had also never tried before (cooked in microwave with a tiny bit of oil for 3 minutes). The only change we’d make is to add a few more ‘fresh’ veggies (cauliflower?) with the green beans and chickpeas to add a bit of crunch. Love it!
Nagi says
You could definitely do that if you like Barbara! 🙂 N x
Jo says
Hi Nagi, could you substitute cumin for the fennel powder? A different flavour I know, but I’m not too keen on fennel
Nagi says
Hi Jo – it’s not overpowering in this dish, I would simply leave it out though if you don’t want to use it. N x
Dorothy Berry says
This is superb – gives a whole new meaning to veggie stews! I made it last night, didn’t have any fennel seed, but one of my veggies was whole fennel anyway. I also used paprika instead of cayenne. I used the veggies I had on hand, so I suppose it was a bit different. I don’t have a tagine pot, but used my heavy-based stove-top pressure cooker without pressure, if you understand what I mean (as my oven isn’t working at the moment). This recipe is a keeper, I just love the fragrant flavour.
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Dorothy!! N X
Shelley says
My husband made this last night (his turn to cook!) and it was absolutely delicious. Loved the mixture of spices. He replaced the cayenne pepper with chilli flakes and also used zucchini and spinach in the last part of cooking. A great dish – we both loved it. Thanks Nagi.
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved it Shelley!! N x
Carol says
Made this last night. Wow fabulous! Thank you Nagi. Defiantly a keeper and the spice mix is the best ever.
Nagi says
Thanks for the awesome feedback Carol! N x
Liz says
Vegetable Tagine
I think you need to amend reheat in freezer to oven 😘
Nagi says
Thanks Liz – fixing this. Just goes to show I’m human and make mistakes too! N x
Pat C says
I have butternut squash and green beans and mixed veg in the freezer, Anything I should do differently if using them?
Nagi says
Perfect Pat, I would thaw and then cook as per the recipe. N x
Vindy says
Hi in India its more ir less like a mix vegetables sabji which is made with coconut in kerala in marati style its calke mix veg kohlapuri I have seen kylie kwong cook amorocon tagine with lamb
Nagi says
Yes sounds similar Vindy! N x
sue kennedy says
Made this tonight, amazing dish, full of flavour, huge hit with the family. Thank you for the recipe
Nagi says
Wahoo, that’s great Sue! N X
Patricia Jones says
Do you use all the spices in the one dish?
Nagi says
Sure do Patricia – don’t skim, that’s where all the flavour is! N x
Sharon Phillips says
Vegetable Tagine devoured tonight for dinner, thanks Nagi we loved it, full of flavour and bonus, low calorie. (I need to tweak the cardamom next time, a little less.)
Nagi says
Hi Sharon, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. If you’re not keen on cardamom, just reduce the amount to suit ❤️ N x
Erin says
I cannot wait to try this one. Thanks Nagi!!
Nagi says
It’s sooo good! Love to know what you think once you try it Erin! N x
Lorraine says
Oh Nagi, this sounds absolutely amazing. Love your blend of spices (minus the cayenne pepper), as it’s full of flavour without being too hot. Can’t wait to make it on the weekend and will have plenty of servings to freeze. Thanks very much. 😊
Nagi says
It’s the perfect emergency freezer meal! Enjoy Lorraine! N X
Jenny says
What a gorgeous and unusual medley of vegetables (right up my alley). Going to make this, and I’m with Dozer, I will have it with some fried chicken.
thanks for another beautiful meal.
Nagi says
😂 Love it Jenny, at least you’re offsetting the fried chicken with veg! N x
john may says
Hi Nagi we will be cooking the vegetable tagine soon, what is the music playing on the video please. Hello Dozer, you have a great life, lucky dog.
Nagi says
Hi John, some of my fabulous stock music! And isn’t he just the luckiest!! N x
Gloria says
Going to be a total hypocrite here as I was one of those that asked for more plant based recipes. But I added CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS. Seared first and then added at end with everything else. Used my pressure cooker which has a sear and sauté function on it and it’s currently slow cooking on high but already smells and tastes amazing. Added sweet potato too cause why not right?!
Nagi says
Sounds great Gloria! N x
Tracey says
Hi Nagi, this recipe sounds amazing. I’m a vegetarian and will definitely be giving this a go. I have a tagine pot which I’ve never used and was wondering what you would do if cooking this in the tagine?
Btw, I have tried a bunch of your recipes now and they are always a big hit. Thanks for all the hard work you put in to making them so yummy 😋
Nagi says
Hi Tracey, this is perfect for the Tagine – cook as per the recipe, no amendments necessary! N x