Spring Celebration menu
Spring Equinox Moroccan Menu — A Fresh Green-Season Table
Spring in Morocco means the markets fill with fava beans, artichokes, peas and green almonds, and the cooking turns bright and herbaceous after a winter of heavy stews. This equinox menu celebrates the green season: a silky fava bissara, a spring vegetable tagine full of peas and artichokes, herb-loaded salads and a strawberry dessert. It is a light, optimistic table for the turn of the year. Below are the courses, a shopping list following the season, and a timeline. See the recipes and a how-to on building a vegetable tagine.
The menu
Starter
Fresh fava bean bissara
Spring's first fava beans blended into a bright green soup, finished with olive oil and cumin.
Salad
Herb, radish and orange salad
A crunchy, fresh salad of spring radishes, herbs and orange segments to wake the palate.
Main
Spring vegetable tagine with peas and artichokes
Artichoke hearts, peas, baby carrots and broad beans braised with preserved lemon and saffron.
Side
Herbed couscous with spring vegetables
Light couscous folded through with peas, herbs and a little butter.
Dessert
Strawberries with orange-blossom and mint
The first strawberries macerated with orange-blossom water and torn mint.
Drink
Fresh mint tea and lemon-verbena infusion
Mint tea, plus a caffeine-free lemon-verbena (louiza) infusion for the spring evening.
Shopping list
- Fresh or dried fava beans (for bissara)
- Radishes, mixed herbs and oranges (for the salad)
- Artichokes, fresh peas, broad beans and baby carrots
- Preserved lemon, saffron and coriander (for the tagine)
- Couscous and butter
- Strawberries, orange-blossom water and mint
- Garlic, cumin and good olive oil
- Onion and ginger (tagine base)
- Lemon-verbena (louiza) if available
- Gunpowder green tea and fresh mint
Prep timeline
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Day before
Make the bissara if using dried favas; prep and store the artichokes in lemon water.
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Afternoon
Build the spring vegetable tagine and let it braise gently; steam the couscous.
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1 hour before
Reheat the bissara; make the herb-and-orange salad.
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30 minutes before
Macerate the strawberries; finish the tagine with the most delicate vegetables so they stay green.
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At the table
Serve the bissara and salad, then the tagine and couscous, closing with the strawberries and tea.
Host's tips
- Add peas and broad beans near the end of the tagine so they keep their colour and bite.
- Rub cut artichokes with lemon to stop them browning while you prep the rest.
- Fresh fava bissara is greener and lighter than the winter dried version — use young beans if you can.
- Macerate the strawberries only 20-30 minutes before serving so they stay firm and bright.
- A lemon-verbena infusion is a lovely caffeine-free alternative to close a spring meal.
Questions about this menu
What vegetables are in season in Moroccan spring?
Fava beans, fresh peas, artichokes, green almonds, baby carrots and spring herbs. Moroccan spring cooking turns light and green after the heavy tagines of winter.
Can bissara be made with fresh fava beans?
Yes. Fresh young favas make a brighter, greener bissara than the traditional dried version. Blend them smooth and finish with olive oil, cumin and garlic just the same.
What is louiza?
Louiza is lemon verbena, brewed as a fragrant caffeine-free herbal tea in Morocco. It is a common evening alternative to mint tea, especially in spring and summer.
How do I keep spring vegetables green in a tagine?
Add the tender ones — peas, broad beans, herbs — in the last few minutes of cooking. Long braising dulls their colour, so introduce them late to keep the dish looking fresh.
Is this menu vegetarian?
Yes, it is entirely vegetable-based, which suits the light green season. You can add a little lamb or chicken to the tagine if you prefer, but it is designed to celebrate spring produce.
Learn to cook this menu with a local in Marrakech
Every dish here is taught, hands-on, in a Marrakech cooking class — or taste them across the medina on a guided food tour.