Stews are one of the finest features of North African cooking. There, this exotic and fragrant dish is cooked to perfection in a cone-shaped ceramic pot called a tajine. Saffron gives it a uniquely Moroccan taste. Vegetable tajines can be served with bread or on a bed of couscous.
Vegetable Tajine
Recipe type: Main Dish, Stew
Cuisine: Moroccan, North African
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 1½ cups chopped onions
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- I teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cups cubed potatoes
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups cubed fresh tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 13-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and halved (reserve the brine)
- ½ cup pitted black olives, halved
- pinch of saffron
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- toasted, chopped almonds
Instructions
- Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are translucent.
- Add the thyme, potatoes, green beans, bell pepper, and tomatoes and cook on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the vegetable stock and the brine from the artichokes and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the halved artichoke hearts, the black olives, and a pinch of saffron.
- Continue to simmer gently for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with bread or on couscous and top with chopped almonds.