I still can’t get enough of vegetables at the moment and am feeling no need to hide them inside other things. This glowing Moroccan vegetable stew is gently spiced with ginger, turmeric, coriander, and cinnamon, and is a gorgeous way to highlight a spring vegetable medley.
I researched which spices are common in Moroccan cuisine and used a combination of them as the base for this dish. It’s not an authentic recipe by any means, so the Moroccan part is in the inspiration. Buying or borrowing a tagine and experimenting with some more authentic Moroccan cuisine is definitely on the wish list!
Also, please don’t skip the golden raisins in this dish! Their natural sweetness is complementary to the spices and tangy tomato so I think they are needed for balance. Otherwise, alternatives might include chopped dates or dried apricots. I used golden raisins because I had them in my pantry after making Sicilian cauliflower pizza.
I served this glowing Moroccan vegetable stew with some toasted almond and chickpea balls. They were a little crumbly so I’m opting out from sharing that recipe today. I frequently experiment with various veggie balls, such as exhibit A and exhibit B. But overall, my experiments rarely survive to the publication stage 🙂
Glowing Moroccan Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil or refined coconut oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 inch peeled fresh ginger minced or grated
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 14 oz. canned diced tomatoes (or use 1 and 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes)
- 3 cups sweet potato diced (about 1 large)
- 2 cups turnip peeled and diced (about 1 large)
- 2 cups cauliflower finely chopped (about 1/2 head)
- 1 cup carrot peeled and diced (about 2 carrots)
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- chopped cilantro for serving
- chopped toasted almonds for serving
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and stir. Cook the onion with occasional stirring until translucent and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir. After 30 seconds, add the cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper, and stir. Cook for another 30-60 seconds or until the spices are fragrant. Finally, add the bell pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes to soften it slightly.
- Stir in the tomatoes, sweet potato, turnip, cauliflower, carrot, golden raisins, and water or broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Cook covered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the cover and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 15 more minutes or until all of the vegetables are cooked through. (The turnips tend to be the limiting factor in this).
- Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with cilantro and almonds if desired. Pair with rice, legumes, or other accompaniments of choice, or serve alone as a light and refreshing meal.
Notes
Nutrition
Loving these Moroccan flavors? Try my One Pot Moroccan Quinoa with Red Lentils!
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Maryellen Brindel says
If a family member is very adverse to cilantro, is it best to eliminate coriander from this recipe.?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Nope. Coriander seed tastes completely different than fresh coriander. It’s from a different part of the plant and doesn’t have the same flavor compounds that some people are sensitive to.
Cynthia says
GlowingMoroccan Vegetable Stew was not only fairly fast to make, but is delicious and healthy. I took the dish to a belly dance pot luck dinner and was asked for the recipe by several ladies. I’m making it tonight with different vegetables and the left over cauliflower. I’m also adding cod. Oh and I love the addition of the lemon juice. It gives the dish an added brightness to your palate. I’m not vegetarian, but I will be trying more of your recipes. Fabulous.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks for your comment Cynthia! I actually just made a batch of this too, it’s one of my faves 🙂
Louise says
Do you think I could use fresh tumeric instead of ground or would it overpower the dish?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Fresh turmeric would be wonderful in this. Ground turmeric is actually stronger tasting than fresh so use more, maybe double.
Ansellia says
What a super delicious recipe! I used the vegetables I had on hand: butternut squash, eggplant, carrots, mushrooms (since it’s on my “must eat daily” list for a wholefood plant-based diet) and bell pepper. I planned adding some Swiss chard towards the end, but that never happened. However, I also added a cup of brown lentils. My entire family loved the result.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you for sharing your modifications!
dawn says
What can I. Use in place of turnips don’t care for them or celery or fennel.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I would suggest just increasing the quantities of the other vegetables to make the total amount of vegetables the same. I’m sure that most vegetables you enjoy would also be tasty in this dish! Just adjust the cooking time if needed
Christina says
I’m going to make this tonight!! What are those balls on the dish?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Those are some chickpea balls I tried to make to go with it that came out crumbly and terrible, haha!
Miss E says
Absolutely divine! Definitely making this again.
Kelsey says
I forgot to leave a comment until now, but I’ve made this three or four times, each with a slightly different mix of vegetables and it’s absolutely a staple for us now. The other day I added butternut squash. I usually make it with couscous instead of rice!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
What a beautiful dish. I love the sound of the vegetable and flavour mix!