North African Beef Tagine with Zucchini & Almond-Herb Couscous

North African Beef Tagine

with Zucchini & Almond-Herb Couscous

40 MIN
4 Servings
Wellness at Blue Apron
Find recipes that suit your lifestyle with our new nutritionist-approved dietary tags.
Vegetarian
Our vegetarian recipes contain no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood, but may include eggs, and animal-based dairy products, such as cheese and sour cream, as well as honey.
600 Calories Or Less
All of these delicious recipes come in at 600 calories or less per serving, ideal for those who choose to monitor their caloric intake, without sacrificing flavor. The US Food & Drug Administration recommends a 2000 calorie daily intake for the general population. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.
WW Recommended
If you spot the WW logo next to a recipe, get excited! These recipes factor in calories, sugar, saturated fats, and protein to help guide you toward nutritious foods—while still keeping dinner satisfying and delicious. PersonalPoints™ are assigned to recipes on an “as packaged” basis. To learn more about WW (formerly Weight Watchers) visit our partner’s website at WW.com.
Carb Conscious
Our Carb Conscious recipes provide a balanced approach to carbohydrate consumption by replacing refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Our Carb Conscious recipes have 42g or less of net carbohydrates (total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber) per serving, a 25% reduction in net carbs compared to the average Blue Apron recipe served in 2019. Due to the natural variation in size of and contribution of produce in our recipes, some recipes can be badged as Carb Conscious at 45g or less net carbs per serving.

From the Test Kitchen

Tagine, an authentic North African dish, consists of meat, vegetables and spices cooked together and traditionally served with couscous. Here, we’re filling our tagine with seasonal zucchini, which adds a refreshing, summery touch to the hearty stew. And we’re making our couscous with toasted spices, chopped almonds, fresh herbs and lemon juice. Feel free to spoon the tagine over the absorbent, fluffy couscous, creating a harmony of complex flavors.

Get Cooking
  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    650 Cals (est.)
fresh
ingredients
North African Beef Tagine with Zucchini & Almond-Herb Couscous
Title
time-saving
tips & techniques
Medjool Dates
How To: Small Dice an Onion
How To: Hold a Chef's Knife
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Trim off and discard the stem ends of the zucchinis; medium dice the zucchinis. Peel and small dice the onion. Using your hands, remove and discard the date pits; roughly chop the dates. Roughly chop the almonds. Pick the parsley and mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Quarter and deseed the lemon.

Cook the couscous:
2 Cook the couscous:

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add half the garlic and half the spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the couscous and 1½ cups of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the couscous is tender. Set aside in a warm place. Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork.

Cook the beef:
3 Cook the beef:

While the couscous cooks, in a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Carefully drain off and discard the drippings. Transfer the cooked beef to a bowl, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan.

Cook the vegetables:
4 Cook the vegetables:

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan of reserved fond. Heat on medium-high until hot. Add the zucchinis, onion, remaining garlic and remaining spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.

Make the tagine:
5 Make the tagine:

Add the cooked beef, tomatoes, dates and 1 cup of water to the pan of vegetables; season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 12 to 14 minutes, or until heated through and the liquid is slightly reduced in volume. Transfer to a serving dish.

Finish the couscous & serve your dish:
6 Finish the couscous & serve your dish:

Once the tagine has simmered for about 10 minutes, to the pot of cooked couscous, add the almonds, half of both the parsley and the mint (roughly chopping the leaves just before adding) and the juice of all 4 lemon wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the finished couscous to a serving dish. Garnish the tagine with the remaining parsley and mint. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

North African Beef Tagine

Prepare the ingredients:
How To: Small Dice an Onion
1 Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Trim off and discard the stem ends of the zucchinis; medium dice the zucchinis. Peel and small dice the onion. Using your hands, remove and discard the date pits; roughly chop the dates. Roughly chop the almonds. Pick the parsley and mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Quarter and deseed the lemon.

2 Cook the couscous:

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add half the garlic and half the spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the couscous and 1½ cups of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the couscous is tender. Set aside in a warm place. Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork.

Cook the couscous:
Cook the beef:
3 Cook the beef:

While the couscous cooks, in a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Carefully drain off and discard the drippings. Transfer the cooked beef to a bowl, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan.

4 Cook the vegetables:

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan of reserved fond. Heat on medium-high until hot. Add the zucchinis, onion, remaining garlic and remaining spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.

Cook the vegetables:
Make the tagine:
5 Make the tagine:

Add the cooked beef, tomatoes, dates and 1 cup of water to the pan of vegetables; season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 12 to 14 minutes, or until heated through and the liquid is slightly reduced in volume. Transfer to a serving dish.

6 Finish the couscous & serve your dish:

Once the tagine has simmered for about 10 minutes, to the pot of cooked couscous, add the almonds, half of both the parsley and the mint (roughly chopping the leaves just before adding) and the juice of all 4 lemon wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the finished couscous to a serving dish. Garnish the tagine with the remaining parsley and mint. Enjoy!

Finish the couscous & serve your dish:
Browse Steps
1 of 6