If there's one thing that rules my component cooking, it's sauce and sauce-like recipes. Making a sauce or two a week can bring all your meals together. I can't remember how I started making harissa but it's become a favorite component of mine. The smoky, spicy flavor works well with many different recipe types and is a perfect partner for vegetables and legumes.
Red harissa paste is most prominent in North African and some Middle Eastern cooking. From what I can tell, each region does harissa differently. While I love a traditional harissa, my variation is based on ease of use/what I have on hand most often (roasted red peppers and chipotle peppers). My version is also on the slightly more mild side thanks to a heat-avoiding husband. I recommend trying a few different variations to find which combination of flavors you like best. You can also buy store-bought red harissa but the flavor is not as good as homemade!
A slightly spicy version of the classic North African paste using roasted red peppers and chipotles. Yields about 1 cup, depending on pepper size.
Tips & Tricks: ground spices can be used in place of the whole spices. Substitute 1:1.
I like to use roasted garlic if I have it on hand.
Substitute dried or fresh chiles for the chipotles in adobo. Play around with the combination of chiles to find a heat level and taste you like.
The cilantro is non-traditional but I've always used it. Leave it out if desired.
Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: peppers, spices, garlic
Nutrition: see the information.
Traditional: Leave out the cilantro and use dried red chile peppers of your choice. This is my favorite traditional recipe.
Green: Drop the red chili peppers for green. Use jalapeño for a more mild version or spice it up by using seranno. This is my green harissa version.
Chiles: I like using dried chiles because I think they pack a bit more flavor but you could easily use fresh (and cook them). Play around with different varieties and types.
Soups/Polenta: Stir harissa into cooked polenta or use a spoonful on top a vegetable soup. I love harissa stirred into tomato-broth based soups to up the flavor.
Eggs: Spoon harissa on top of scrambled or fried eggs. Harissa is also great added to quiche and frittatas before baking.
Dips: Puree harissa into hummus or other dips for a boost of flavor.
Sandwiches: Spread red harissa onto sandwiches or my favorite, added to grilled cheese sandwiches.
Vegetables: Toss vegetables in harissa before or after roasting.
Dressings: I like make a simple lemon vinaigrette then add a tablespoon or two of harissa to the dressing before using on salads.
Pizza: Mix the harissa with tomato sauce for an easy and flavorful pizza sauce.
I LOVE these ideas!! As someone who is slowly discovering that those roasted veggies lingering in my fridge taste great with everything and yesterday's spicy peanut marinade tastes great drizzled over a grain bowl, I love the way you are presenting these components - along with so many different variations/substitutions and recipe suggestions. Not only do these look delicious, but also save time in the kitchen. Fantastic posts! Thank-you!!!
★★★★★
Wow this looks so good!
Izzy | Pinch of delight
Harissa is amazing!! I've had harissa in Africa that was so spicy I was afraid my tastebuds had burned off! Alternately I've had harissa so mild that it was really more smoky-sweet than spicy. I like somewhere in between the two. This recipe looks like a good happy medium:) Thank you for sharing.
Do you know how long this will keep?
I keep it up to a week in the refrigerator or it also freezes nicely for a couple of months.
Thank you Erin!
I am happy to see a mild version of harissa, because my stomach also can't take food with lots of heat.
I like the idea of adding it to grilled cheese and I’m think that could be good with some sort of slightly sweet radish or carrot pickle julienned and tucked in. I use harissa mixed with homemade tomato sauce as a part of a quick shakshuka recipe. Also great to toss boiled new potatoes in it. Eat them cold on their own or on nicoise!
★★★★★
This is delicious! I’m on a reduced sodium diet, so roasted my own red pepper by spraying with cooking oil and nuking it covered for 9 minutes. There’s no need to peel the pepper if you’re using a food processor. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★