Chickpea Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons
Ingredients
2 cups chopped carrots
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red chili pepper, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
4-6 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas* (or 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
4 cups fresh spinach , about 4oz
1 preserved lemon, halved and sliced
1 cup green olives, pitted and halved (such as Castelvetrano)
1 cup dried apricots, halved
Salt and pepper
½ cup chopped cilantro
Prepared couscous or rice for serving
Prepping Dried Beans:
*Rinse beans, look for any dirt or stones and discard. Place in a large bowl or pot, and cover with 2x water. Allow to soak 8-12 hours. Drain and rinse. Add back to pot and cover with fresh water. Simmer on low for 1-2 hours until desired tenderness, and now they’re ready to add to any recipe that calls for canned beans. For quick prep, you can put clean beans in a large pot and add water to cover by a few inches. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for one hour. Drain, rinse, and cook as above to be equivalent to canned beans.
Preparation
In a large tagine or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, carrots, add 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and sauté for 10 minutes. Add chilis and sauté 5 minutes more. Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger and sauté, toasting the spices for a few minutes. Add broth and chickpeas, and one teaspoon each salt and pepper, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add spinach, lemon, olives, and apricots. Cook for 15 minutes more, adding more broth if needed. Serve in bowls over rice or couscous, and garnished with cilantro.
