Harissa Chickpeas
Tender chickpeas in a spicy harissa bath, slow-simmered with blistered tomatoes, golden garlic, and a swirl of creamy coconut milk. Finished with a handful of wilted spinach and a bright zip of lemon—weeknight dinner just hit upgrade mode!
Servings: 3 Servings
Calories: 395kcal
Cost: $7
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup shallots or red onions, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or smoked paprika
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 4 teaspoons harissa
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cups bunched spinach washed and roughly chopped
- 15 ounce. Canned chickpeas drained (about 1 ¼ cup cooked chickpeas)
- ¾ cup coconut milk full fat
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste (depending on the saltiness of your harissa)
Optional Herbed Yogurt Topping:
- ⅓ cup unsweetened plant-based yogurt
- 1 tablespoon tahini paste
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dill minced
- 2 teaspoons parsley minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Garnishes:
- Parsley leaves
- Mint Leaves
- Dill Sprigs
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
- Push the sautéed onions to one side of the pan, and ddd the cumin seeds, ground coriander and chili powder directly to the open surface on the pan. Cook for 1 minute, stirring once or twice, until aromatic.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, harissa and lemon juice and sauté for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes shrivel and begin to release their juices.
- Add the spinach, chickpeas, coconut milk and salt. Simmer over medium-low heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are heated through and the sauce has slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- To prepare the optional herbed yogurt topping, whisk together the plant-based yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, dill, parsley, and salt in a small bowl until smooth.
- Serve warm, topped with the herbed yogurt if using, and garnish with parsley leaves, mint leaves, or dill sprigs as desired.
Notes
🌿 Leaf Me Alone:
If you’re going with greens other than mature bunched spinach, kale or Swiss chard are your best bets—they hold up well during cooking and give the dish that nice bite. Frozen spinach works, just thaw and drain it first—no one wants swampy chickpeas, except for the inhabitants of the Bog of Eternal Stench…
🌶️ Spice Patrol:
Some harissas are fiery, some are more smoky. Start with the suggested amount in the chickpeas and adjust up to your heat level if it’s not enough. Better to add more than have to cool it down.
Nutrition
Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1123mg | Potassium: 953mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2531IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 6mg