Parsnip and chickpea tagine is a simple take on a North African classic. This version skips the long ingredient list and keeps the cooking easy. Parsnips bring a mild sweetness, while chickpeas add heartiness and make the dish high-protein. Red onions and ras el hanout give the tagine warmth and a layered flavor.

This recipe comes from Five Ingredient Vegan by Katy Beskow. It uses just a handful of pantry staples: onion, parsnip, canned tomatoes, chickpeas, and spice. Everything cooks in one dish, and the oven does most of the work. The result is plant-based comfort food that’s easy to prepare any day of the week.

The tagine softens in the oven until the parsnips are tender and the sauce thickens. A squeeze of lemon adds brightness at the end. Fresh herbs are optional but recommended. Serve it with flatbread or baba ganoush for a fuller meal. This pared-back version proves you don’t need much to get great flavor. It’s a cozy, plant-based dinner with minimal effort.

Prepare the parsnip and chickpea tagine

This tagine proves you don’t need a long ingredient list to deliver something special. It’s slow-cooked comfort made simple. It's rich, fragrant, and quietly impressive. Perfect for when you want a no-stress dish that still feels like a moment.

parsnip and chickpea tagine with onion, tomato, and spices

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Servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 red onions roughly chopped
4 parsnips peeled and quartered lengthways
1 tsp ras el hanout
400 g (14oz) canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
400 g (14oz) canned chopped tomatoes
Generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof casserole dish, add the onions and parsnips and cook over a medium–high heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle over the ras el hanout and cook for a further minute.
Remove from the heat and pour in the chickpeas and chopped tomatoes, along with 200ml (7fl oz) cold water. Stir to coat the vegetables, then cover the casserole with a lid and cook in the oven for 30 minutes until the parsnips have softened.
Carefully remove from the oven. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Squeeze over the juice of half an unwaxed lemon and scatter with mint leaves or flat-leaf parsley for freshness, if you have them available.
This is delicious served with baba ganoush and flatbreads on the side.

Republished with permission from Five Ingredient Vegan: 100 Simple, Fast, Modern Recipes by Katy Beskow (Quadrille Publishing, 2020).

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