North African Chickpea & Preserved Lemon Tagine with Harissa

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

A slow-simmered vegetarian tagine featuring chickpeas, preserved lemons, and a smoky harissa-spiced tomato base, served with couscous. This North African-inspired one-pot recipe (vegetarian), ready in about 45 minutes, pairs chickpeas, diced onions, chopped tomatoes for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 30 min Serves 4 North African cuisine 420 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced onions and cook for 5 minutes until golden and caramelized, stirring occasionally.
  2. Step 2: Stir in 1 cup chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp preserved lemon paste, 1 tbsp harissa paste, 1 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, cooking for 3 minutes until the tomatoes break down and the mixture becomes fragrant.
  3. Step 3: Add 1 can (15 oz) drained chickpeas, 1 cup vegetable broth, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 25 minutes until flavors meld and sauce thickens slightly.
  4. Step 4: While tagine simmers, prepare couscous: bring 1 cup water to a boil, pour over 1 cup couscous in a bowl, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
  5. Step 5: Serve tagine over couscous, spooning the sauce and chickpeas generously over the top. Garnish with extra cilantro.

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