Vegetable tagine with crunchy carrots, chunks of sweet potato and butternut squash is fruity, healthy and perfect for a meat-free Monday dinner.
I love tagine. It’s a super simple and absolutely delicious dinner.
We often make a fruity tagine with leftover roast lamb, which is a fab way to use leftovers. The flavour of lamb is perfect in a lovely Moroccan stew.
Another great option for tagine however is skipping the meat entirely.
This Butternut squash and sweet potato tagine has loads of flavour and texture and doesn’t miss the meat at all.
It’s ideal if you are looking to reduce meat, enjoy a family meat-free Monday, save money or just try some healthy options.
Eating a range of colourful and vibrant veggies is important for good nutrition. This tagine is a fantastic choice.
Ingredients for Vegetable Tagine
This easy vegetable tagine recipe is super versatile. If you prefer different vegetables, it’s easy to make swaps. For my Butternut Squash Tagine I use:
Olive Oil – Any other cooking oil is fine, or even a spray, just use enough so that your veg doesn’t stick
Garlic
Carrots – I keep my carrots chunky, cutting them into large batons. This means that they are still fairly firm, and even a little crunchy. If you prefer a soft carrot, slice them into thinner rounds.
Red Onion
Red Pepper
Yellow Pepper
Sweet Potato
Chopped Tomatoes
Vegetable Stock
Mixed Spice
Chilli Flakes – Just the tiniest pinch for a little flavour
Butternut Squash
Sultanas
Dried Apricots
Can you Add Chickpeas?
I find that with sweet potatoes and butternut squash, I don’t really need to add chickpeas to make a sweet potato chickpea tagine.
I personally also find the idea of chickpeas and couscous a little much. But that’s just personal preference.
You can by all means make a Chickpea tagine with veg if you want to. Just add the chickpeas with the butternut squash, or instead of the butternut squash.
Is This Sweet Potato Tagine Vegetarian?
Yes. This is one of many great Vegetarian Moroccan recipes.
Is This Veggie Tagine Vegan?
All vegetables are, of course, suitable for vegans. When I make it, this is a vegan butternut squash tagine, but double-check the stock that you use.
The majority of vegetable broths and stocks are vegan, but it’s always best to check.
How Spicy is This Vegetable Tagine?
This Moroccan sweet potato tagine does contain chilli flakes, but only a tiny bit.
It’s not spicy at all, more of a fruity flavour that’s perfect for kids.
Is Veggie Tagine Healthy?
This Moroccan vegetable tagine recipe is so healthy! There’s nothing unhealthy in it, and one portion has pretty much all of your five a day!
Sweet potato and apricot tagine is packed with nutrients, but it’s still filling and tasty.
How to Make a Sweet Potato Tagine
This butternut squash tagine recipe is so simple. You basically just fry to soften the veg and then simmer it all together so that the flavours mature.
You can see the full instructions in the recipe card below.
How Long to Cook Tagine with Veg
I simmer my veggie tagine for about 40 minutes.
If your sauce is too watery, or your veg is still too firm for your tastes (I like a bit of crunch) you can simmer for 15 minutes more. Just make sure it doesn’t dry out (add a cup of water if it does).
Do You Need a Tagine Pot to Make a Vegetable Tagine?
No.
If you’ve got a tagine, by all means, use it.
But I cook my tagines in a large cast-iron pot or Dutch oven.
I start cooking with the lid on, and then remove it, later on, to let the sauce thicken.
What Can You Serve Butternut Squash Tagine with That’s Not Couscous?
I love couscous and typically serve my veggie tagine with giant cous cous, which has a great texture and flavour.
If you prefer you could serve your tagine with:
- A green salad
- Bread to mop up the sauce
- Rice
- Pitta bread and dips
- Baked or roasted potatoes (I might skip the sweet potato here)
Can You Freeze Tagine?
Tagine is great for freezing, and this recipe is massive, so could easily leave you with leftovers.
If you want to freeze some, I’d try to keep the veg fairly firm (which is how I like them anyway, so my recipe is ideal for freezing) so that they don’t go mushy when you reheat them.
Cool your tagine by removing it from the cooking pot and placing it in an airtight container, without the lid. Leave to cool uncovered by adding the lid to seal. Freeze for up to two months, before thawing slowly in the fridge.
Reheat gradually over a medium heat in your tagine or cast-iron dish, adding more water if needed.
Vegetable Tagine
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
- 6 Medium Carrots (Peeled and chopped into chunky batons)
- 0.5 Red Onion (Finely Diced)
- 1 Red Pepper (Deseeded and chopped into 1-2cm chunks)
- 1 Yellow Pepper (Deseeded and chopped into 1-2cm chunks)
- 1 Medium Sweet Potato (Peeled and cut into 2cm chunks or cubes)
- 400 g Chopped Tomatoes
- 500 ml Veg Stock (Plus extra water to cover)
- 2 Teaspoons Mixed Spice
- Pinch Chilli Flakes
- 1 Medium Butternut Squash (Peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm chunks or cubes)
- 50 g Sultanas
- 100 g Dried Apricots (Cut in half)
- Giant Couscous (enough for four, cooked to package instructions)
Instructions
- Place a large cast-iron dish, or other flameproof cooking pot, over a medium heat on the hob.
- Add the oil and allow to warm for 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft.
- Tip in the sweet potato chunks and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes, stock, and enough water to cover the veg.
- Add the mixed spice and a good pinch of chilli flakes and stir together well.
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid, add the butternut squash, apricots, and sultanas and stir well.
- Simmer for a further 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
- Prepare your couscous to package instructions while the tagine is cooking.
Video
Notes
- Nutritional information doesn’t include couscous – check the pack.
- I like my veg to stay quite crunchy, especially the carrots. If you prefer softer veg, cut the carrots into sliced rounds, or simmer for longer.
- You can also simmer for longer if the sauce needs to thicken more.
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
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