Whether you spell it tagine or tajine, this Moroccan chickpea tagine style veggie stew is the ideal weeknight dinner. Ready in 30 minutes and made with plenty of on hand pantry ingredients, it's vegan and gluten-free with no substitutions.
For some more cozy dinner recipes, try my vegan cottage pie with lentils, easy ginger red lentil dal, and the best lentil soup with lots of lemon and dill.
Ingredients
Most of the ingredients needed are shelf-stable or last a long time, like onions and winter squash. This is a good inexpensive meal that makes plenty.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: use canned or cooked. If using canned, make sure to drain and rinse well beforehand.
- Squash: this can be any kind of winter squash you like. If you don't have it, you can sub more carrots or another root vegetable in its place.
- Spices: adjust the spice level to your taste – the spiciness will also depend on the type of chili flakes you use, so keep that in mind.
- Apricots: if you can't find dried apricots, dates or raisins are a pretty good substitute. You want that hint of sweetness.
How to Make Vegan Tagine
Step 1: cook the onions for several minutes, until softened.
Step 2: stir in the garlic and spices.
Step 3: add everything except the chickpeas and salt, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 4: stir in the chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes, lid off, before serving.
Top Tips
- Season to taste: different types of broth will have different levels of salt added, and everyone has a different personal taste. Try the stew and add more salt if needed before serving.
- Serve with something: try more traditional couscous or go for quinoa, rice, or even millet. Bread or flatbread works too.
- Use water: if you don't have broth, you can use water for this recipe instead. This is a good rule of thumb for strongly spiced recipes or (most of the time) soups and stews with a tomato base. As long as you add enough salt, it'll taste good.
How to Store
Storage: keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat as usual before serving.
Freezing: transfer fully cooled leftovers to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating as usual. Chickpea tagine freezes very well.
FAQ
What is the difference between a tagine and a stew?
A tagine is the cooking vessel used (a two-piece conical pot) and a type of stew is made in it, also called a tagine or tajine. It's from North Africa and is typically highly spiced, aromatic, and a little sweet from dried fruit.
Can I use a spice mix?
You can alter the spices used, but note that the stew won't taste as it should. If you use a spice blend, leave some out, or alter the amounts, the end result will change pretty significantly.
If you make this Chickpea Tagine recipe or any other vegan dinner recipes on Wholehearted Eats, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more WHE, follow along on Instagram or subscribe for new posts via email.
Recipe
Chickpea Tagine
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Soup pot
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes 794 grams
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced into rounds (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups squash cut into 2cm (¾ in.) cubes
- ⅓ cup dried apricots roughly chopped
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas or 425g or 15 oz. canned, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
- Cilantro and lemon to garnish
- Quinoa or couscous to serve
Instructions
- Add the oil to a soup pot over medium-low heat. Once the oil is warmed add the onions and cook for 5-8 minutes or until they begin to soften.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion
- Add the garlic and spices and stir to combine.3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- Next stir in the can of tomatoes, carrots, squash, apricots, and vegetable broth.28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes, 3 medium carrots, 2 cups squash, 3 cups vegetable broth, ⅓ cup dried apricots
- Cover and bring to a simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- After the vegetables are cooked, add the chickpeas and salt and let the mixture simmer, this time without the lid, for 10 more minutes or until some of the extra liquid evaporates. Taste and add more salt if needed.3 cups cooked chickpeas, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Serve over quinoa, couscous, or any cooked grain you'd like, and garnish with some cilantro and a squeeze of lemon.Cilantro and lemon to garnish, Quinoa or couscous to serve
This sounds so fabulous! I love Moroccan cooking with a twist, and this does it perfectly. I make and eat a lot of tajines over here (as you know, when you're in Morocco there's not always much of a choice haha), so it's nice to have an alternative that is definitely a bit easier and quicker-cooking. Beautiful! xx
I love those Moroccan flavors... I grew up in a family that was not culinarily adventurous AT ALL (Chinese food was as exotic as we got), so I feel like I missed out on so many amazing cuisines. But I'm trying to make up for lost time and try new flavors, especially different spice blends! So bring on the Moroccan stew!! 🙂
Ha ha, that's so cute, Sarah. I love that you're making up for lost time (p.s. I just met a girl in her mid twenties who didn't know what a taco was, so you're miles ahead 😉 ). Hope you enjoy this stew as much as we do! xox