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Moroccan vegetable tagine with dates and apricots brings together sweet and savory flavors with warm spices. This dish will fill your home with an amazing aroma and the flavors are incredible!

Tagine is the name of the cooking vessel and recipes that use this vessel. It could be called the symbol of Moroccan cuisine. Why use a tagine? Slow cooking in this beautiful dish with its domed or cone-shaped lid causes the steam to condense and the flavors flow back into the dish. The result is a food that is very tender and juicy! This version of Moroccan stew is also a vegan meal. So healthy and delicious!

Low and slow is the way to go! If you are a fan of tagine cooking try my other favorite tagine dishes. I love lamb tagine with apricots and pistachios, chicken tagine and also a chicken tagine with saffron. These all bring really exoctic flavors and meat just melts in our mouth!

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Ingredients​

Vegetable tagine is a Moroccan stew using simple ingredients that are easily found. The most exotic items would be the traditional Moroccan spice mix called ras el hanout and harissa paste. These are both optional items. The base dish has subtle flavors of cinnamon, saffron, paprika, lemon zest and ground ginger. If you want a dish heavy on spice then add the ras el hanout that is a ground mixture of cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander, paprika, white pepper, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, lavender, nutmeg and allspice. If you want heat then add the harissa paste which is a popular chilli sauce of North Africa. There are some variations but most harissa paste consists of dried red chilis, olive oil, lemon, cumin, coriander and caraway. I have a recipe to make your own ras el hanout. Here are the base ingredient below.

• Vegetable broth or vegetable stock, either is fine.
• Dried fruit: dried apricots and dates.
• Vegetables: onion, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes and red potatoes.
• Beans: chickpeas are traditional in most tagine recipes.
• Aromatics, herbs and spices: garlic, cilantro, paprika, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, ground ginger, black pepper and saffron.
• Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions to Make Moroccan Vegetable Tagine​

Here are the step by step photos to make this dish.

• Step 1: Heat the tagine on medium heat and add the olive oil and onion. Fry the onion until soft.
• Step 2: Add the carrot, ginger, garlic, cilantro, paprika and saffron. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.

• Step 3: Add the vegetable broth and cinnamon stick then bring to a boil.
• Step 4: Set the heat to low and add the dates, apricots, green beans, potatoes and chickpeas. Simmer on low until the potatoes are soft. This will take about 20 minutes. Check the potatoes with a fork if they are soft then add the lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like sea salt or Kosher salt along with fresh ground pepper.

Hint: If you don't have a tagine you can use a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid instead of a tagine pot.

Substitutions and Varitations​

Vegetable tagine is basically a vegetable stew and is a blank canvas for flavors so feel free to change up the recipe to meet your taste or diet. Here are some suggestions on other ingredients you can try.

• Olives: - Add in some black olives or green olives for a nice salty pop of flavor and different textures.
• Butternut squash: - Add squash instead of the potatoes for some additional subtle sweetness.
• Root vegetables: - Turnips, parsnips and radishes add some nice earthy flavors as well as different varieties of carrots for color.
• Dried fruit: - Try some chopped dried figs, prunes, golden raisins or peaches.
• Nuts: - I like to add pistachios or almonds. If you use whole raw almonds, blanch them to remove the skins or use the skinless chopped or slivered version.
• Fresh Herbs: - Some great herbs to try would be parsley, rosemary, bay leaves, basil, thyme or sage.
• Spicy: - Add in 2 teaspoons of ras el hanout spice blend and for some heat add 1 tablespoon of harissa paste. 1 teaspoon of red pepper flake also adds a nice amount of heat.
• Other ideas: - Whisk in 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the vegetable broth for some added richness and stir in some fresh lemon juice just before serving.

Equipment​

If you buy a new ceramic tagine be sure to check out my instructions on how to initially cure a tagine. A tagine is essentially a clay pot and needs to be cured before use. I have the full instructions on curing and caring for a tagine in my Moroccan chicken tagine recipe.

FAQ​

How long can I store the vegetable tagine?
Allow the dish to completely cool and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze vegetable tagine?
This dish does not freeze well. The potatoes and green beans will have a mushy texture when thawed.

Related Recipes​

Looking for other recipes like this? If you like this vegetarian tagine recipe other African stews or soups to try would be the West African peanut stew or harira below.

• 
  Harira Recipe - Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Soup
• 
  West African Peanut Stew
• 
  Saucy North African Lamb Meatballs - Lamb Kofta
• 
  Lamb Stew with Rose Water

Pairings​

I love to serve Moroccan vegetable tagine over rice, couscous or with some crusty bread. Here are some other ideas of dishes to serve also:

• 
  Moroccan Country Bread - Khobz
• 
  Moroccan Inspired Beef Kabobs
• 
  Couscous Salad with Dates, Nuts and Apricots
• 
  Basmati Rice with Apricots and Almonds

Print

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine with Chickpeas​

Moroccan vegetable tagine has exotic flavors and combines sweet and savory. Magnificent aromas will fill your home while this dish simmers on the stove.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Moroccan
Keyword healthy, North African, vegan stew
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour
Servings 6 servings
Calories 274kcal
Author Analida Braeger

Equipment​

• 1 Tagine

Ingredients​

• 2 tsp Olive oil extra virgin
• 1 Onion yellow, diced
• 2 Carrots diced
• ½ tsp Ginger powder
• 2 cloves Garlic crushed
• 1 Tbsp Cilantro chopped
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 2 threads Saffron
• 12 oz Vegetable broth
• 1 stick Cinnamon
• ¼ cup Dates pitted and chopped
• ¼ cup Apricots dried, chopped
• 1 cup Green beans fresh, trimmed and cut into 2 inch sections
• 1 Sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 2 Red potatoes peeled and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 15.5 oz Chickpeas 1 can, drained and rinsed
• 2 tsp Lemon zest
• ½ tsp Salt to taste
• ½ tsp Black pepper to taste

Optional Ingredients​

• 2 tsp Ras el Hanout for bold spicy flavors
• 1 Tbsp Harissa paste for spicy heat

Instructions​

• Heat the tagine on medium and add the olive oil and onion. Fry the onion until soft.
• Add the carrot, ginger, garlic, cilantro, paprika and saffron. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the vegetable broth and cinnamon stick then bring to a boil.
• Set the heat to low and add the dates, apricots, green beans, potatoes and chickpeas. Simmer on low until the potatoes are soft. This will take about 20 minutes.
• Check the potatoes with a fork if they are soft then add the lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes​

If you don't have a tagine you can use a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid instead of a tagine pot. Variations:

• Olives: - Add in some black olives or green olives for a nice salty pop of flavor and different textures.
• Butternut squash: - Add squash instead of the potatoes for some additional subtle sweetness.
• Root vegetables: - Turnips, parsnips and radishes add some nice earthy flavors as well as different varieties of carrots for color.
• Dried fruit: - Try some chopped dried figs, prunes, golden raisins or peaches.
• Nuts: - I like to add pistachios or almonds. If you use whole raw almonds, blanch them to remove the skins or use the skinless chopped or slivered version.
• Fresh Herbs: - Some great herbs to try would be parsley, rosemary, bay leaves, basil, thyme or sage.
• Spicy: - Add in 2 teaspoons of ras el hanout spice blend and for some heat add 1 tablespoon of harissa paste. 1 teaspoon of red pepper flake also adds a nice amount of heat.
• Other ideas: - Whisk in 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the vegetable broth for some added richness and stir in on some fresh lemon juice just before serving.

Nutrition​

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 942mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 9367IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 4mg​