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A vibrant Moroccan-inspired quinoa tagine served in a rustic terracotta dish with traditional blue patterns, filled with golden quinoa, chickpeas, dried apricots, and toasted almonds, garnished with fresh cilantro. The tagine lid rests beside the dish on a weathered wooden table adorned with deep blue and terracotta textiles. A small bowl of cucumber-mint salad, Moroccan tea glasses, wooden spoon, and bowls of spices (cinnamon, cumin, paprika) complete the warm, naturally lit scene with steam rising gently from the freshly made dish.
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Moroccan-Inspired Quinoa Tagine with Chickpeas, Apricots & Toasted Almonds

This vibrant Moroccan-inspired tagine marries protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas with sweet dried apricots and toasted almonds, all simmered in a warmly spiced tomato sauce that transforms simple pantry ingredients into a delightful, globally-inspired dinner adventure
Course Main Course
Cuisine Moroccan
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
Keyword quinoa
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 606kcal
Author GPT-4.1

Equipment

  • Large pot with lid
  • Small pan (for toasting almonds)
  • Knife and cutting board
  • mixing bowl (for salad)
  • grater (for zest)
  • measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

Tagine

  • 150 g quinoa white (uncooked)
  • 1 can 400 g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can 400 g diced tomatoes
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced (or 1 tsp dried garlic)
  • 1 medium carrot diced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 50 g dried apricots chopped
  • 30 g almonds roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder optional, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 300 ml vegetable broth from powder or cube
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Cucumber-Mint Salad

  • 1/2 cucumber diced
  • 2 tomatoes diced
  • 2 tbsp fresh mint chopped (or 1 tsp dried mint)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • Salt & pepper to taste

To Serve

  • Fresh coriander or parsley optional, for garnish

Instructions

Prep the Ingredients

  • Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a sieve.
  • Chop all vegetables, apricots, and almonds.
  • Zest and juice the lemon.

Toast the Almonds

  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, toast chopped almonds until golden and fragrant. Set aside.

Sauté the Base

  • In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add onion and carrot, sauté 3–4 minutes until softened.
  • Add bell pepper and garlic, sauté another 2 minutes.

Add Spices & Tomatoes

  • Stir in cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, both paprikas, and chili powder.
  • Cook for 1 minute until aromatic.
  • Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer.

Simmer the Tagine

  • Add quinoa, chickpeas, apricots, salt, and pepper.
  • Cover and simmer gently for 15–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is cooked and sauce is thickened. Add a splash more broth or water if needed.

Finish the Dish

  • Stir in lemon zest and juice.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Fold in half the toasted almonds, reserving the rest for garnish.

Make the Cucumber-Mint Salad

  • In a mixing bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, mint, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss well.

Serve

  • Spoon the tagine into bowls. Top with remaining toasted almonds and fresh coriander or parsley if desired.
  • Serve with the cucumber-mint salad on the side.

Notes

Serving suggestions:
A dollop of vegan sour cream can add creaminess if desired.
For the perfect complement to your Moroccan Quinoa Tagine, consider a dry rosé wine, whose bright, fruity notes beautifully balance the warm spices while enhancing the sweet apricot elements in the dish. If you prefer a non-alcoholic option, traditional Moroccan mint tea offers a refreshing counterpoint to the rich flavors, with its cooling mint notes echoing the cucumber-mint salad while cleansing the palate between bites-both beverages maintain the low carbon footprint philosophy while enhancing your exotic North African dining experience.
 
Allergens:
  • Almonds
  • Check the ingredients of your vegetable broth for allergens like celery
 
Emission Hotspots:
  • While canned goods are convenient, they carry a higher environmental cost than their raw counterparts. The processing, metal packaging, and shipping of these heavier water-filled cans all contribute to their larger carbon footprint.
  • Although quinoa is usually referred to as a low-carbon food staple, we found emission factors between <1 and 29.4 kgCO2e/kg, depending mostly on the region where it is grown and whether deforestation is playing a role
  • Shop to home transportation, if a combustion car is used
 
Sustainability tips:
  • Buying European quinoa can decrease the meal carbon footprint by up to 25%
  • Instead of buying canned chickpeas, bulk-cook and freeze dried chickpeas. If you have a pressure cooker, you can even minimize the energy used for cooking
  • Walk or bike to the supermarket and farmer’s market
  • Save the aquafaba (chickpea water) to make a dessert, for example a vegan Mousse au Chocolat
  • Cook everything in a rice cooker (e.g. the Reishunger Digital Reiskocher) to save some energy
  • Buy organic ingredients to reduce chemical intake and enhance biodiversity
  • Make your guinea pigs 🐹 happy by giving them any remaining greens and veggies
  • Compost food scraps to reduce methane emissions from landfills and create nutrient-rich soil for gardening
  • Consider growing herbs at home - even a small windowsill herb garden reduces packaging and transportation while providing fresh flavours
  • Batch cooking - make a larger amount of tagine and freeze portions for future meals to save energy
  • Repurpose any leftover tagine into a sandwich filling or as a topping for baked potatoes