Today’s recipe for harissa chickpea stew is super simple and super cosy. It’s something that I often make for myself for lunch at the beginning of the week and it keeps me going for days.
This harissa chickpea stew uses only a few staple ingredients and is a pretty hands off to make too. All it needs is a bit of simmering on the stove with an occasional stir, every now and then. I often put it on when I am tending to a big kitchen chore – like reorganising my cupboards or cleaning something – and let it bubble away in the background.
I tend to enjoy it with some toasted sourdough or grilled Turkish bread and, if I am feeling extra hungry, I pan-fry a couple of my favourite vegan sausages. While you can certainly jazz this stew even further by adding things like olives or maybe some chopped preserved lemon, I wanted to keep this stew as simple as possible so that it’s achievable and not too overwhelming on a busy workday. It keeps for days and freezes well and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
ONIONS – I used white onion, but red onion is just as good. Alternatively a couple of large shallots will also do the job well.
GARLIC – A few garlic cloves are essential for the base of this simple harissa chickpea stew. I used four cloves, but you can use fewer if you prefer.
CHICKPEAS – Chickpeas add texture and nutrition, I used two can’s worth, which is about 500 g or 3 cups of drained chickpeas. If you don’t like chickpeas, how about cannellini beans or lentils instead?
TOMATOES – Canned tomatoes create a rich tomato sauce that is perfect vehicle for plump chickpeas. I used peeled plum tomatoes (pelati) in this dish, but any quality canned tomatoes will work just as well. If using fresh tomatoes, you will need approximately 5-6 medium ripe tomatoes.
HARISSA – Harissa paste is a spicy Tunisian chilli paste, its intensity varies depending on the brand. Original Tunisian paste – like Le Phare du Cap Bon tubes available in Middle Eastern grocer’s – tend to be very hot so a little goes a long way. I used Rose Harissa by the British brand Belazu which isn’t super hot.
DRY SPICES – Although harissa paste already contains spices, I like to add a bit extra myself. I add a bit of earthy cumin and some smoked sweet paprika for extra depth.
FLAKED ALMONDS – I enjoy a contrast of textures in my food and this dish is quite soft on the whole so a sprinkling of toasted almond flakes is a perfect finishing touch that adds a pleasing crunch. If you can’t have almonds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds would also work really nicely. Make sure you toast them on a dry frying pan first though to get maximum flavour out of them.
PARSLEY – Fresh parsley is a lovely finishing touch that adds a hint of herby freshness to this simple stew. If you aren’t keen on parsley, fresh coriander (known as cilantro in the US) is a great alternative.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) SAUTE ONIONS AND GARLIC
Sauté onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil on low heat, until translucent and fragrant. Season, add dry spices and harissa paste and sauté together briefly before adding tomatoes.
2) MAKE TOMATO SAUCE
Add tomatoes and some water to the pan. Simmer on low heat until tomatoes have fallen apart and the sauce has reduced to the desired consistency level – it takes about 45 minutes on medium heat. Be sure to give the sauce a stir every now and then and top it up with water if the tomatoes are still chunky and the pan is looking a bit dry. If using peeled plum tomatoes (pelati), I suggest crushing the tomatoes (I use potato masher) before adding the to the pan to speed everything up.
3) AND FINIALLY ADD CHICKPEAS
Finally add chickpeas and allow them to warm up in the tomato sauce. Season the dish to taste and serve or store for the following day.
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil, more if liked
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- salt & pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp harissa paste, adjust to taste*
- 2 x 400 g / 14 oz canned tomatoes (I use peeled plum)
- 2 x 400 g / 14 oz canned chickpeas*
- 5 ml / 1 tsp sugar or sweetener (I use date syrup), optional
- chopped parsley or coriander/cilantro, to serve
- toasted almond flakes, to serve
- Heat up 30 ml (2 tbsp) of olive oil in a large casserole pan. Add sliced onion. Sauté until on low heat until softened. Stir every so often.
- Add chopped garlic and sauté, on low heat, until garlic is no longer raw, stirring frequently. Season.
- Add dry spices and harissa paste and coat onion and garlic on it. Cook on low heat for 30-60 seconds.
- Next, add in canned tomatoes (I crush plum tomatoes with a potato masher before adding to the pan), some salt and about a can worth of water.
- Increase the heat to medium and allow tomatoes to simmer for about 45 minutes, until tomatoes chunks have disintegrated and the sauce has thickened. Give the pan a stir every now and then and top with a splash of water of the stew is still looking too chunky and is running dry.
- Add chickpeas and allow them to warm up in the stew.
- Taste, adjust the seasoning to your liking – you may want to add a touch of sweetener if your tomatoes aren’t sufficiently sweet. This dish makes even better leftovers so cool and store in the fridge overnight if making in advance.
- Divide between bowls. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and toasted almond flakes and a side of crusty bread. A couple of pan-fried vegan sausages per portion I also a nice addition.
*CHICKPEAS: if cooking your own chickpeas from scratch, use about 500 g / 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.