Equipment
Ingredients
Homemade Harissa Paste
- 15 g dried guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 5 g dried arbol chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 4 g cumin seeds
- 3 g coriander seeds
- 2 g caraway seeds
- 3 garlic, peeled
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 45 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 4 g kosher salt
Chicken Stew
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4cm pieces
- 30 ml olive oil
- 150 g yellow onion, diced
- 200 g carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm rounds
- 3 garlic, minced
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 500 ml chicken broth, low sodium
Vibrant Chickpea Salad
- 400 g canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
- 150 g english cucumber, diced
- 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 50 g red onion, finely diced
- 15 g fresh parsley, chopped
- 10 g fresh mint, chopped
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 30 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 3 g kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 686 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 1786 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 22 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 144 mg
- Potassium
- 1407 mg
- Calcium
- 181 mg
- Iron
- 6.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 120 mg
- Phosphorus
- 486 mg
- Zinc
- 4.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 543 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 39 mg
- Vitamin E
- 4.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 98 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.31 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.59 mg
- Niacin
- 9.8 mg
- Folate
- 93 mcg
- Water
- 449 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the stemmed and seeded dried chilies in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and let soak until pliable and soft.
In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds until fragrant. Transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly before grinding or processing.
Drain the chilies and transfer to a food processor. Add the toasted spices, garlic cloves, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil. Blend until a relatively smooth, thick paste forms. This is your harissa.
Heat 15ml of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and sear them in batches until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 15ml of olive oil to the Dutch oven along with the diced onions and carrots. Sauté until the onions are softened and translucent.
Stir in the minced garlic and 3 to 4 tablespoons of your homemade harissa paste. Cook for one minute to bloom the spices.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Return the seared chicken and its resting juices to the pot.
Bring the stew to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let it gently simmer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74C/165F and the carrots are tender.
While the stew simmers, combine the drained chickpeas, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, finely diced red onion, parsley, and mint in a large mixing bowl.
Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the chickpea salad. Season with kosher salt and toss everything together until well coated. Let it rest to allow flavors to meld.
Ladle the hot harissa chicken stew into shallow bowls. Serve alongside a generous portion of the cool, vibrant chickpea salad.
Chef's Notes
- Blooming the harissa in hot oil alongside the aromatics is a critical technique that unlocks the fat-soluble flavor compounds in the chilies and spices.
- Leftover harissa paste can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top to preserve its freshness.
- For the chickpea salad, rolling the lemon on the counter before juicing breaks the cell walls and maximizes your juice yield.
- When handling dried chilies, consider wearing gloves to prevent transferring capsaicin oils to your face or eyes later.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store stew and salad in separate airtight containers. Salad greens may wilt over time.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the stew only; the chickpea salad does not freeze well.
Reheating: Reheat stew gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until it reaches 74C/165F internally. Serve with cold salad.
Troubleshooting
Stew is overwhelmingly spicy
Cause: Dried chilies were particularly potent or too many seeds were left in
Fix: Stir a dollop of plain, unsweetened yogurt or a splash of coconut milk into individual bowls to neutralize the capsaicin
Prevention: Taste a tiny piece of the rehydrated chili before blending and meticulously remove all seeds
Harissa paste is too bitter
Cause: Spices were burnt during the toasting phase
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Bitter burnt spices will ruin the batch; it is best to recreate the spice blend
Prevention: Toast spices only until they become fragrant, shaking the pan constantly, and remove immediately from hot pan
Chicken thighs are tough or rubbery
Cause: The stew boiled vigorously rather than at a gentle simmer
Fix: Reduce heat immediately and continue to cook very gently until the fibers break down
Prevention: Maintain a low, bubbling simmer once the liquid is added to gently tenderize the meat
Cultural Context
Harissa is a fundamental condiment and flavor base native to Maghrebi cuisine, particularly associated with Tunisia where it serves as the national cornerstone of flavor. Blending sun-dried chilies with warm earth spices like caraway and cumin creates a complex profile that is simultaneously fiery, smoky, and deeply aromatic. In traditional North African households, recipes for harissa vary widely and are often closely guarded family secrets.
