Moroccan Seven-Vegetable Tagine with Chickpeas
Carrots, squash, zucchini, and sweet potato simmered with chickpeas in a cinnamon-cumin sauce, North African tagine style.
The seven-vegetable tagine is a Moroccan classic, built to showcase whatever's in season simmered together until each vegetable is tender but still holds its shape. Cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric bloom in oil at the start, giving the broth its warm, slightly sweet backbone before the vegetables go in.
Chickpeas add heft and a bit of protein, turning this from a side dish into a filling main on its own, especially spooned over a small portion of couscous or eaten with crusty bread to catch the sauce.
Built from vegetables, legumes, and warm spices with no animal products at all, this is a naturally vegan, plant-based African dish that also fits comfortably within a Mediterranean way of eating. The variety of vegetables makes it a genuinely heart-healthy plate, rich in fiber from every direction. Swap in whatever vegetables are freshest that week, since the warm spice blend is really what carries the dish, not any single ingredient.
Ingredients
- 1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1 sweet potato, cubed
- 1 cup butternut squash, cubed
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed
- 1 can (400g) diced tomatoes
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley — for garnish
Most ingredients here are everyday market staples across West Africa. A handful of specialty items may be easiest to find at a local open-air market or an African grocery store if you're elsewhere.
Instructions
- 1Heat olive oil in a large pot or tagine and sauté onion and garlic until soft.
- 2Stir in cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 3Add the carrots, sweet potato, and butternut squash, along with diced tomatoes and broth.
- 4Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
- 5Add the zucchini, green beans, and chickpeas; continue simmering for 15-20 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
- 6Season with salt and pepper, garnish with cilantro, and serve.