Vegetable tagine with apricot quinoa

Niomi Smart’s beautifully vibrant vegan recipe is a good source of iron and gives you all 5 of your 5-a-day! Make good use of seasonal vegetables and spices

Prep:30 mins
Cook:45 mins

Serves 4
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 650
fat 20g
saturates 3g
carbs 80g
sugars 31g
fibre 23g
protein 25g
salt 0.5g

Ingredients

1 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ butternut squash (500g), chopped into large chunks
2 red peppers, chopped
400g can chickpeas, drained
400g can chopped tomatoes
500ml vegan vegetable stock (such as Marigold Vegan Bouillon Powder)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp paprika
small bunch coriander, chopped
small bunch mint, chopped, plus extra to serve
pomegranate seeds, to serve (optional)
280g quinoa
80g dried apricots, chopped
20g flaked almonds, toasted
4 tbsp tahini
2 tsp preserved lemon, finely chopped, plus 2 tsp liquid from the jar
6 tbsp almond milk

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 3 mins. Add the garlic and butternut squash, and cook for a further 7 mins.
Add the remaining vegetables and continue to fry for 3 mins before adding the chickpeas, tomatoes and stock, along with the spices and seasoning. Simmer for 30 mins, uncovered. Meanwhile, put 750ml water in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, then add the quinoa and cook for 20 mins. When cooked, stir in the apricots and almonds, plus a pinch of salt.
To make the tahini dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt.
Serve the quinoa with the tagine, and drizzle the tahini dressing over the top. Scatter over some chopped coriander and mint and the pomegranate seeds, if using, to finish.