Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, and Chickpea Tagine
Posted on Oct 18, 2011 | 59 commentsAs Sukkot (and my vacation) draws to a close (ok, there’s a few more days left) I’d like to leave you with a recipe I developed for a meat-free Sukkot menu for the Jew and the Carrot. Sukkot is one of those rare Jewish holidays that doesn’t have prescribed dishes and while it’s all about the harvest, many still include meat on their table. I propose a vegetarian Sukkot to truly celebrate the harvest. This comforting, Moroccan-inspired tagine is so hearty it will satisfy even the most carnivorous guest or family member.
The best part about making this dish was that I finally got to use the beautiful tagine that Beth got me for my birthday back in June! Isn’t it just gorgeous? This one is just for serving, but the tagine (confusing as it is the name for both the vessel and the recipe) comes together easily on the stovetop with no fancy equipment. I used butternut squash, sweet potato, and carrots for a comforting, fall dish but many other vegetables would work beautifully as well.
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 small onions, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper or chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 sweet potato, cut into chunks
- 2 carrots, cut into chunks
- cup chopped dried apricots
- 4 cups vegetable stock or broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- 1 20-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 3 cups couscous
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1½ cups hot vegetable broth
- Pomegranate seeds (optional)
- Heat the oil in a large skillet with lid over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the cumin, coriander, crushed red pepper, cinnamon, garlic, and tomato paste; cook for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the squash, sweet potato, carrots, and dried apricots and toss well to coat. Pour 2½ cups of the stock and the lemon juice over the vegetables and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook partially covered over a low heat for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chickpeas, parsley, and cilantro and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the couscous in a large baking dish and spread it into a thin, even layer. Pour over the boiling water and remaining 1½ cups broth and cover with a lid or tin foil. bring Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed into the couscous. Fluff gently with a fork.
- To serve, put the couscous on a large serving platter. Spoon the vegetable tagine on top. Garnish with additional chopped parsley and cilantro, plus pomegranate seeds if you like.
I love tagine, and this one looks spectacular!!
Thank you Giulia!! I love tagine too, so versatile!
What a beautiful tagine you got! I have a mini one ,just as a decoration.The dish sounds lovely too:)
I love my tagine! I love the little ones too – they make beautiful decoration
Oh I’d love to try Tagine! How sweet of Beth to give you this beautiful Tagine. I always look for a serving bowl/container for rice. This is a very good looking one! Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
I bet you would love tagine Nami! It really was the sweetest gift ever. Beth knew I had my eye on it and surprised me
Thank you Nami! Vacation was just wonderful.
Katherine,
Everything looks fabulous: the recipe, the pictures, and the tagine! Enjoy the rest of the holiday and your vacation!
Judee
Thank you so much Judee!! Vacation was lovely – too short as usual
A LONG time ago I used to live in Morocco – so I know tagines (both the vessel and the dish). Your tagine (vessel) is one of the prettiest I’ve seen. Your tagine (the dish) is also one of the prettiest I’ve seen! Great, light modern version (meaning much less oil than a traditional tagine). Good recipe. And welcome back!
That is so cool!! Morocco is one of the places I most want to visit in the world. I thought it would be so easy and cheap from Israel, but not so. Luckily we have tons of Moroccan influence – including awesome tagines like this! Thank you so much for your kind words, I’m flattered!
Looks so warming and very harvest-worthy meal! I love your tagine dish! Very colorful.
Thank you Ilke! I love my tagine dish too – isn’t she purdy?
gorgeous!
Thank you! So good to hear from you
What a gorgeous tagine (both the recipe and dish)! I can’t resist anything with sweet potatoes and squash.
Welcome back – I hope you ate well, relaxed and had fun!
I am also a sucker for sweet potato and squash! Thanks so much Hannah
Lovely recipe – all of my favorite things!
Thanks Lynda! Mine too
Gorgeous tagine & looks yummy! Can’t wait to hear all about your vaca!!
Thanks love!!! Yes, we need to update soon
A splendid fall tagine!
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you Rosa!
Such a colourful dish — a perfect choice to celebrate the harvest! Theresa
That’s one of the things that I love about it! Thanks Theresa
The recipe looks amazing and the pictures are out of this world!
Aw thank you so much Ruth!
This came out very nicely for me as a contribution to a potluck. Thanks.
That is so wonderful to hear!! Thank you so much for letting me know. You’ve made my day!
What a gorgeous tangine and dish! I love all the beautiful colors and spices in this dish. It must be so tasty and flavorful!
Oh thank you Biren! As always your comments brighten my day
Oh my goodness, what a presentation and recipe is killer..I love it Katherine!!! congrats on wonderful top 9!!! hugs
Aww thanks so much Sandra!! You’re the best
Ooh, tagine. I’ve been missing those since my trip to Morocco way back when, I really need to get mys hand on one and experiment with it. This looks wonderful!
I am absolutely dying to get to Morocco!! Some day. It’s up there. The great thing about tagines is they don’t *need* to be made in a tagine, I just made this one on the stove top!
It;s a beautiful, beautiful place (though also depressing in some aspects), I highly recommend it. My first trip was at age 11 and I feel in love
Really? Oooh, now I’m hooked!
Oh that looks like such a delightful dish. Love the colors. Congrats on T-9!
LL
Thanks so much Lori! I was thrilled to be included!
Gorgouse tagine dish! Love it! Oh and the actual tagine is mouth watering! What’s not to love about butternut squash and sweet potatoes.
Thank you Kat! I love my tagine (the dish) and need to find more excuses to use it! And I couldn’t agree more about butternut squash and sweet potatoes
This tagine was fantastic! Easy to make, tasted great, lots of leftovers – basically anything I could have hoped for. I am so glad I stumbled upon your recipe!
Oh Jillian, you have made my day! Thank you so much for reporting back and letting me know that it came out well! I am thrilled to hear it.
That is the most beautiful Tagine dish and meal to serve from
it. Photos ate stunning as well!
Thank you Geni for your kind words! So glad you stopped by
Wow. This is stunning meal!
Oops, I meant *a* stunning meal.
Haha, thanks Jennifer!!
This recipe looks simply amazing! Such beautiful pictures as well! I’d like to share my recipe for chicken tagine with you… you can check it out here: http://bit.ly/chicktagine
Thanks!
Thank you Amanda! Heading over to check out your chicken tagine recipe now
pomegranate seeds in tagines = the greatest thing. this looks terrific! and your tagine dish itself is really beautiful, i want one just like it.
I agree! Pomegranate seeds add just the right tangy sweetness, and they’re so pretty! Thanks! I love that dish.
Wonderful dish! It’s simmering on my stove right now as I wait for the rest of the family to arrive. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes, too
Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed it Debbie! You’ve made my day
This was just phenomenal. I followed the recipe exactly (with the exception of the pomegranate seeds) and my partner and I loved it. It reminded me of a tagine I had years ago but could never recreate. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Andie I am so glad that you enjoyed the tagine! You have totally made my day. Thank you for coming back and giving me such wonderful feedback
Hi,
I have been searching for a serving tagine, and this one given to you by your friend, Beth (which is also my middle name) is stunning and most unusual in design
Would you mind asking your friend where she bought it? She must really love you to give you such an exquisite gift!
Thanks!
PS. I’m going to try some of your recipes. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Harriet
Hi Harriet,
I absolutely adore my tagine, she really is a great friend! Beth got it at our favorite Moroccan shop in Tel Aviv. I don’t know where you are located, but if you’re in the area it’s called “Oriental Design” (although I never knew the name and don’t know that it’s posted anywhere) and it’s on 8 HaShomer, right off Binyamina behind the Carmel Market.
Thank you for your note! I hope you enjoy my recipes
Shalom, Katherine,
Thank you for your swift reply!
Lucky you, living in Israel. I’m stuck in suburban Chicago, but I’m all-but-certain my youngest will eventually make aliyah. Meanwhile, I will have her go to Oriental Design the next time she’s in Tel Aviv, which very well could be this year. I won’t have to twist her arm; she loves the markets in Tel Aviv and loves buying stuff for me! I tried to find the shop online to see whether they have a purchasing web site, or even a mailing address or phone number, but could find nothing.
I discovered your site last night and had fun perusing your recipes–you are quite prolific! It would take the rest of my life to try all your dishes–so I guess I’d better get started. After Pesach, of course.
About a year ago, I stumbled upon the site of another American gastronome transplanted in Israel. You might want to check it out: sarahmelamed.com
BTW, the button below for notifying your fans of follow-up comments via e-mail apparently didn’t work, as I didn’t receive any such e-mail. I found your reply by returning to your site.
Chag sameach!
Harriet
My bookgroup raved about this!
Yay!! So glad you liked it