Vegan Moroccan-Style Tagine with Seitan

This is a recipe I created because I was entertaining some guests with a Moroccan-style dinner and I had a vegetarian in my group. I wanted him to have a hearty vegetarian dish with lots of protein, so I made this dish up after looking over a number of different Moroccan tagine recipes. It turned out so well that I have made it many times since and would like to share. I actually think that some of my non-vegetarian guests preferred this dish to the lamb that I spent hours slow-roasting! (Though it was also delicious and makes a nice combo with the stew.) It uses Moroccan spices and dried fruit. Serve over couscous.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 320 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup golden raisins
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon, or to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
• ½ medium lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, or as needed
• 1 pinch ground cumin, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 (10 ounce) package seitan
• 2 tablespoons ras el hanout
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• ⅓ cup pitted green olives, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 pinch ground coriander, or to taste
• 3 cups vegetable broth, or more as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Break seitan apart into pieces. Rub pieces in vegan margarine and then in ras el hanout.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned seitan and saute until browned and crusty bits form on the bottom of the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and saute over medium heat until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in sweet potato, chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, raisins, apricots, cayenne, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon. Pour in enough vegetable broth to cover the mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in lemon zest and juice. Top with parsley and serve.