Vegan Tagine with Chickpeas
User Reviews
5
Vegan Tagine with Chickpeas
Description
The Vegan Tagine with Chickpeas brings together a spice mix dominated by ras el hanout, along with ground cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, turmeric, and optional cayenne for heat. Onions are cooked slowly to develop sweetness before adding bell pepper, garlic, and cinnamon stick. Spices are toasted briefly to release their fragrance, then combined with vegetable broth, diced butternut squash, chickpeas, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, and chopped Medjool dates for a balance of savory, sweet, and warm flavors.
The dish is cooked covered in a Dutch oven or tagine, allowing the squash to soften and the flavors to meld into a hearty stew. Fresh lemon zest and juice, plus parsley, add brightness and freshness at the end. It can be served with an optional vegan yogurt sauce flavored with lemon juice and coriander, complementing the spiced tagine with creaminess and acidity.
For a consistent cooking texture, the butternut squash should be finely diced and peeled; using the squash’s skinny neck portion can make this easier. Dates can be adjusted from three to six to control sweetness level. Ras el hanout, the signature spice blend, can be bought ready-made or substituted with a homemade mixture as described in the notes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 onion diced, large, yellow
- 1 red bell pepper chopped, medium
- 6 garlic finely chopped, cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional) (see Note 1)
- 2 cups vegetable broth 480 mL
- 3 cups butternut squash 400g) (see Note 2, peeled and finely diced
- 2 chickpeas canned, drained and rinsed
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- 1 crushed tomatoes canned
- 3 to 6 Medjool dates chopped (see Note 3, large
- 1 lemon zested + 1 tablespoon juice, medium
- 1 parsley chopped, big handful, flat-leaf, or cilantro leaves and tender stems
Spice Mix
- 1 tablespoon ras el hanout (see Note 4)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cumin ground
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric ground
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, ½ tsp for some good heat)
- black pepper a generous crack
- ground cloves a pinch
Yogurt Sauce for serving (optional)
- 5 ounces vegan yogurt plain
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice more to taste depending on your yogurt brand, freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375º/190ºCF. Arrange an oven rack to fit a Dutch oven (or tagine pan, if you have one) or braising pan.
- Stir together the spices for the Spice Mix.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes, adding a splash of water as needed to deglaze the pan and prevent the onions from burning. Add the bell pepper, garlic, and cinnamon stick, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the Spice Mix and stir vigorously for 1 minute. If it starts to dry out, add a splash of water.
- Pour in some of the broth to deglaze the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Add the remaining broth, squash, chickpeas, bay leaves, salt, tomatoes, and dates. Stir, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, and drizzle with a nice glug of olive oil, and stir again to combine. Place the lid on the pan and ensure it’s fitted tightly.a. NOTE: If you don’t have a lid for your pan, cover tightly with foil.
- Transfer to the oven and bake, covered, for 40 minutes, or until squash is tender and the mixture is thick and stew-like.
- Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce (or make 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerate). In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, salt to taste, and coriander. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- For the best flavor, cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in half of the zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste, adding more lemon zest or juice as desired.
- Serve in bowls topped with yogurt sauce, chopped parsley or cilantro, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
- If not using a cinnamon stick, increase ground cinnamon in the spice mix to 1 teaspoon.
- Finely dice peeled butternut squash, ideally using the neck portion for ease, to ensure even cooking.
- Adjust number of chopped Medjool dates between 3 and 6 to suit your desired sweetness.
- Ras el hanout can be sourced from specialty spice stores or made at home if unavailable.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 422 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 422kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 71g | 24% |
| Protein | 20g | 40% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Sodium | 498mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 1107mg | 24% |
| Fiber | 17g | 68% |
| Sugar | 24g | 48% |
| Vitamin A | 8403IU | 168% |
| Vitamin C | 61mg | 68% |
| Calcium | 207mg | 21% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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