Moroccan Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Tagine

This Moroccan butternut squash and sweet potato tagine makes for a nutritious meatless meal! Make it any night of the week for a vegetarian staple!

This hearty vegetarian (and vegan) dish is jam packed with warm flavors! It is gluten-free, dairy-free, full of plant-based protein, and is pleasing for the whole family!

Have you ever cooked a meal in a Tagine? It was new to me until recently, too! 

What is a Tagine?:

Tagine is both a style of food and a cooking tool that originates from North Africa. Moroccan and Tunisian cuisine is tagine-centric. The dish, was named after the instrument in which the food is prepared.

A tagine comprises a sauté pan with a wonderfully shaped hat, traditionally used to slow cook meat and vegetable dishes at low temperatures.

You can put the tagine in the oven or use it on the stove top. It’s wildly cool; beautiful billows of steam form while your food cooks and the hat used to cover the pan creates a sort of spa for your food.

This vegan dinner recipe is comprised of butternut squash, sweet potato, onion, chickpeas, and an array of warm spices. This aromatic dish makes your home smell amazing during the cooking process!

Once the vegetables and spices are stewed together, the result is a hearty, rich meal that is filling, comforting, and pleasing to the belly.

Can I Use a Skillet?:

While I am exuberant about the tagine as a cooking implement, you do not need one in order to make this dish – A large sauté pan or wok with a cover will work too. 

I adapted this recipe from Katherine Martinelli’s blog and thought I would end up changing a lot more of the recipe than I did.

Specifically, I was worried about the cinnamon and the dried apricots but they truly add a nice warmth without being super distinguishable. I was very happy with the recipe, that Katherine did a great job! Moroccan Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Tagine will forever be one of my favorites!

More Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes:

• Moroccan Spiced Beet Veggie Burgers
• Jamaican Chickpea Stew
• Quick and Easy Chana Saag
• 30-Minute Thai Green Curry with Avocado

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

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Moroccan Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Tagine

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

A healthy aromatic Moroccan-inspired vegan dinner recipe

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium-sized sweet potato, chopped into 1/2” cubes (2 cups)
• ½ medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into ½” cubes (3 cups)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• ¾ cup vegetable broth, separated
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup chopped cilantro, optional

Instructions

1. Start by preparing your rice, as it takes longer than the vegetables. Follow instructions on the package of rice.
2. Add oil to a tagine or skillet and heat to medium-high.
3. Sauté onion and sweet potato for 3 minutes.
4. Add butternut squash, stir.
5. Add ¼ cup vegetable broth, all the spices and salt, stir, cover tagine and cook 5 minutes
6. Remove the cover, add remaining vegetable broth, garbanzo beans, lemon juice and dried apricots.
7. Continue to cook 5 to 8 minutes until butternut squash and sweet potato are soft but not mushy.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Katherine Martinelli http://www.katherinemartinelli.com/blog/2011/vegetable-tagine-couscous-gf-vegan/

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1 serving
Amount Per Serving Calories 341Total Fat 9gUnsaturated Fat 0gCarbohydrates 59gFiber 8gSugar 17gProtein 8g