Root Vegetable Tagine Spice Roasted Chickpeas
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Root vegetable tagine simmers sweet potatoes, turnips, and carrots in a Moroccan spice blend with preserved lemon, green olives, and fresh herbs. Served over couscous with crisp spice-roasted chickpeas.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsRoot vegetable tagine with spice-roasted chickpeas brings the deep, layered flavors of a Moroccan souk straight to a weeknight dinner. The spice blend is the soul of the dish, coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds toasted whole, then ground fresh with turmeric and red pepper flakes.
Fresh toasting unlocks flavor compounds that pre-ground spice powders simply can’t match. The difference between jarred cumin and fresh-toasted cumin is the difference between a Polaroid and high definition. Do this step once and you’ll never skip it again.
Quick preserved lemon is the other cheat code. Real Moroccan preserved lemons take a month in brine, but a 10-minute simmer in salt and lemon juice creates a remarkably close stand-in, tender, salty, and floral, with all the character of the traditional ingredient.
The vegetables go in stages into a heavy pot with chickpeas roasted separately in the same spice blend for topping. Sweet potatoes, turnips, and carrots simmer with green olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs until everything comes together into something rich, bright, and satisfying. Served over couscous with the crispy chickpeas crowning the plate, this is a vegetarian main that hides nothing.
Pro Tips
- Toast spice seeds in a dry skillet over medium, shaking constantly, and pull the moment they turn fragrant and slightly darker. Over-toasted spices turn bitter.
- Cut all the root vegetables to roughly the same size so they finish cooking at the same time. Uneven cubes mean some mushy, some undercooked.
- Let the tagine rest 10 minutes off the heat before serving as the recipe directs. This standing time lets the spices and herbs fully integrate and the dish tastes markedly deeper.
- The spice blend and preserved lemon can be made a week ahead. Doing the spice work in advance turns this into a 45-minute weeknight dinner.
Variations
- Add a can of drained chickpeas directly to the tagine along with the sweet potatoes for a one-pot version.
- Swap turnips for parsnips or rutabaga for different sweet-earthy root vegetable character.
- Drizzle with harissa or a dollop of Greek yogurt at the table for heat or cooling richness.
Ingredients
Directions
Toast coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds in small skillet over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Cool.
Transfer to spice mill or coffee grinder, process until finely ground.
Transfer to small bowl.
Add red pepper, turmeric, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Stir in lemon slices, lemon juice, and 4 teaspoons salt in small skillet.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lemon slices are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
Cool preserved lemon. Drain and chop.
DO AHEAD:
Spice blend and preserved lemon can be made 1 week ahead.
Store spice blend airtight at room temperature.
Transfer preserved lemon to small bowl, cover and chill.
Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
Stir in onion, sprinkle with salt and sauté until beginning to soften, 4 to 6 minutes.
Stir in toasted spice blend, garlic, and tomato paste, cook and stir often for 1 minute.
Stir in carrots and celery, keep stirring 2 minutes.
Stir in chopped preserved lemon, 4 cups water, sweet potatoes, turnips, olives, and sun dried tomatoes.
Simmer with lid ajar until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 36 minutes.
Add parsley, cilantro, and mint, stir well.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
Place cooked couscous into large bowl, spreading out to edges and leaving well in center.
Transfer vegetable tagine into well in center.
Top with Spice Roasted Chickpeas.
Serve warm.
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