Lemon Cauliflower and Chickpeas Tagine

Spring is here my friends, and we are back at it. Gardening, making spring friendly-recipes, growing and preserving food. All that fun stuff.

Today’s recipe captures that spring feeling. It’s a lemon cauliflower and chickpeas Tagine, that is 100% vegan and super easy to make.

Vegan Tagine Recipe

Vegan Tagines are not really a thing in classic Moroccan cuisine. You see, Tagines are usually built around an animal protein, a small amount usually, with a lot of complementary veggies. That is not to say that Moroccan cuisine is not vegan friendly, on the contrary. The vast majority of side dishes, like Taktouka and Zaalouk, and other soups like Harira, Loubia and Lentil Stew are 100% authentically vegan.

That being said, nothing stops us from making our own Vegan Tagine. I’m not vegan myself, but I do rely on plant based meals for the bulk of my nutrition. And this has been on my rotation for some weeks now, it’s just that good!

How to build this Tagine

Because we are using veggies only, we’re going to use mild spices to avoid overwhelming the gentle flavor of cauliflower. The flavor profile is heavily inspired by the classic lemon chicken tagine. That said, here is what you will need:

Cauliflower: the heart and soul of this dish

Canned Chickpeas: for protein, fiver and flavor contrast. You can also use white kidney beans if you don’t like chickpeas. Fun fact, the chickpeas help thicken the sauce and make it creamier.

Onions: For this recipe I used 2 medium-sized onions. Cooking them slowly with vegetable broth allows for their natural sweetness to come out, which gives a very nice flavor contrast. You can use either red or yellow onions, your call.

Preserved Lemon: an absolutely essential add-on. It adds a citrusy taste to the sauce and gets it as close as it can get to a true lemon chicken tagine.

Vegetable Broth: for an added boost of flavor.

Olive oil: because it is Moroccan cuisine.

Spices: turmeric, cumin, ground ginger, ground cardamom and cayenne powder for a little heat.

The Steps

1. While you can make this in a Tagine, I doubt that most of you have one. If you do by all means, use it. Start by heating up a skillet on medium-high heat, and add in your olive oil. Add minced onions, parsley and all your spices (cumin, cardamom, cayenne, ground ginger and turmeric powder).
2. Remove the pulp from your preserved lemon, chop it very finely and add to the pan. Cut your lemon skin into strips and add to the pan as well. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
3. Add your cauliflower to the pan. Pour the broth in to completely cover. Cover with a lid, lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 12-14 minutes or until the cauliflower is almost cooked. Add your chickpeas and cover. Let it cook for another 10 minutes.
4. For garnish, top with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly chopped parsley and black pepper. Serve with a generous slice of Moroccan Bread and enjoy!

Possible substitutions:

Cauliflower: You can substitute this with anything you want. I tried this with potatoes, potatoes and carrots, tofu and it all works. Cauliflower is however the best option.

Chickpeas: Creamy white kidney beans my a perfect substitute here. They are not too strong in taste and are just as nutritious.

5 from 1 vote

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Lemon Cauliflower Tagine

Lemon Cauliflower Tagine served with a healthy amount of chickpeas and fresh herbs. This is the perfect way to start spring!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Moroccan

Keyword cauliflower, chickpeas, lemon, Recipe, Tagine, Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 340 kcal

Author Idriss

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower cut into florets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup canned chickpeas
• 2 minced onions
• 1/2 preserved lemon finely minced
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat up a skillet on medium-high heat, and add in your olive oil. Add your minced onions, parsley and all your spices (cumin, cardamom, cayenne, ground ginger and turmeric powder).

2. Remove the pulp from your preserved lemon, chop it very finely and add to the pan. Cut your lemon skin into strips and add to the pan as well. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

3. Add your cauliflower to the pan. Pour the broth in to completely cover. Cover with a lid, lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 12-14 minutes or until the cauliflower is almost cooked. Add your chickpeas and cover. Let it cook for another 10 minutes.

4. For garnish, top with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly chopped parsley and black pepper