Tagines

Garden Vegetable Tagine

Here’s a vibrant, Moroccan-inspired Garden Vegetable Tagine you can make without needing a traditional clay tagine — though if you have one, it’s a beautiful way to serve it. This version layers sweet, earthy, and aromatic flavors, perfect for using up a bounty of seasonal vegetables.

🫑 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled & chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled & cubed
• 1 medium eggplant, cubed
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, sliced into half-moons
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes (or 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp harissa paste (or 1½ tsp harissa spice blend)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish

🍲 Method

1. Sauté aromatics

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook 5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.

2. Layer the vegetables

Add carrots and sweet potato first (they take longest to cook), followed by eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, and cauliflower. Stir to coat in oil.

3. Spice it up

Sprinkle in harissa, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir until vegetables are evenly coated and fragrant.

4. Simmer

Add chickpeas, apricots, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30–35 minutes until vegetables are tender.

5. Finish & serve

Stir in lemon juice, adjust seasoning, and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with warm couscous, quinoa, or flatbread.

💡 Fermentation-Friendly Twist: You could stir in a spoonful of preserved lemon paste or lacto-fermented carrots at the end for a bright, probiotic kick that complements the sweet-spice balance beautifully.