This plant-based Chickpea and Date Tagine is a fragrant stew full of summery vegetables and warm spices, with a touch of sweetness from plump Medjool Dates.
This post is sponsored by Natural Delights. All opinions are my own.
A stew might not be the first thing you think of when you ask yourself what to make for dinner on a summer’s night. But hear me out on this Moroccan inspired Chickpea and Date Tagine.
Featuring light, seasonal ingredients and exotic, transportive spices (and requiring far less time standing in front of a stove than other stews), this tagine is an impressive candidate for your next summer dinner.
This chickpea and date tagine makes a wonderful summer meal
This chickpea and date tagine is full of light summer vegetables like zucchini and tomatoes (canned, but still reminiscent of the season), as well as onions, garlic, baby spinach and worldly combination of spices. Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and cumin create the most lovely aromas as this summer stew is simmering away on your stovetop.
Natural Delights Pitted Medjool Dates are added to the tagine during the last few minutes of cooking; just enough for them to plump up, turn velvety smooth in texture and release some of their flavor into the liquid. Each bite of a date in this tagine adds a welcome touch of sweetness you didn’t know how much you needed until you tasted it. It really is what rounds out this entire dish.
Chickpeas offer a plant-based protein source that keeps this tagine feeling both light and relatively effortless thanks to the quick cooking time of a meatless meal.
Because one pot dish requires minimal time on the stove, it’s ideal for those hot summer days that cool down enough in the evening to leave you craving something warm for dinner.
What you’ll need to make this recipe
Besides the ingredients, the traditional, cone shaped ceramic or clay pot in which tagines are cooked is actually called a tagine. According to The Kitchen, “The tagine’s conical shape makes a uniquely moist, hot environment for the dish being cooked. The base is wide and shallow, and the tall lid fits snugly inside. As the food cooks, steam rises into the cone, condenses, and then trickles down the sides back into the dish”.
Not to worry if you don’t own one though- any large pot with high sides such as a Dutch oven makes an ideal vessel for making a tagine.
What to serve with tagine
This tagine is hearty enough to stand alone. In fact, as I typed up this blog post I helped myself to a small jar full of it; I didn’t even bother to heat it up and it was fantastic.
However, the sauce does beg to be sopped up by something starchy, such as:
- couscous
- quinoa
- rice
- flatbread
I also recommend a generous helping of fresh herbs to garnish this dish. Cilantro, parsley or even basil will all do, but I especially love how mint plays off of the dates in the tagine. It’s a wonderful pairing.
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Chickpea and Date Tagine
This plant-based Chickpea and Date Tagine is a fragrant stew full of summery vegetables and warm spices, with a touch of sweetness from plump Medjool Dates.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup Natural Delights Pitted Medjool Dates (about 8), sliced lengthwise
- 1 14 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 large zucchini chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon honey or coconut sugar
- rice, quinoa or couscous, for serving
- fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- In a large enameled cast-iron pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes.
- Add the, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon stick to the pot. Cook over moderate heat for 1-2 minutes more.
- Add the tomato paste and red wine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, dates, chickpeas and zucchini. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the zucchini is just tender, about 10-15 minutes. remove from heat and tir in the baby spinach until wilted; stir in the honey. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Discard the cinnamon stick before serving.
- Serve over rice, quinoa or couscous topped with fresh mint or other herbs.
