Name: Vegan tagine with butternut squash
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground ginger; 2 tsp ground coriander; black pepper, to taste; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; 2 tbsp / 30 ml oil (I used olive oil); 1 large onion, finely chopped; 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; ¼ tsp chilli flakes or cayenne pepper, adjust to taste; a good pinch of saffron; 4 cardamom pods; 2 bay leaves; 2 x 400 g / 14 oz tin chopped tomatoes / 6 medium, ripe tomatoes; 1 preserved lemon, chopped very finely; 35 g / ¼ cup raisins; ¾ tsp salt, adjust to taste; ½ medium butternut squash; 2 tsp date syrup / nectar, shop-bought or homemade (or sugar); 100 g / 3.5 oz kale, tough stems removed; 240 g / 1½ cups cooked chickpeas (approx. ½ cup raw); 2 cups cooked couscous or rice, to serve; almond flakes, to serve (optional); pomegranate arils, to serve

Vegan tagine with butternut squash

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This vegan tagine with butternut squash is easy to make, filling and comforting. It makes excellent leftovers as it tastes better a day after it was made. Naturally gluten-free.

By: Lazycatkitchen (via Lazycatkitchen)

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 90 mins

Yields: serves 4

Instructions

Heat up the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot that you have a lid for.
Add the diced onion and fry it gently until almost translucent (for about 7 minutes), stirring from time to time.
Add the chopped garlic. Keep on frying gently until the onion is translucent and the garlic softens completely and releases its beautiful aroma (approx. 5 minutes).
Stir all the ground spices into the onion-garlic mixture. Fry them off on a very low heat for a minute or two (stirring the whole time as if they burn they'll taste bitter).
Add the chopped tomatoes, 2 tins worth of water, saffron, cardamom pods, bay leaves, preserved lemon, raisins and salt to the pan. Simmer, covered, until the tomato chunks fall apart and the sauce looks more or less homogeneous (about 45 minutes).
Remove the lid and keep on cooking the stew on low-medium heat to allow excess water to evaporate so that the stew thickens.
You can cook the butternut squash in the stew (it takes about 20 minutes), but I prefer to do so separately as it allows for greater control over its 'doneness'. Bake in a 200° C / 390° C oven for about 25-30 minutes or steam for 30 minutes.