Harissa Chickpea and Tomato Skillet
Cooked chickpeas simmer with tomatoes and harissa, then spinach and parsley finish the skillet. A four-serving dinner with adjustable chili heat.
- Original yieldYield
- 4 servings4 servings
- PrepPrep time
- CookCook time
- TotalTotal time
Cooked, drained chickpeas are the starting ingredient; simmer until the tomato sauce has thickened.
Published Updated
Original recipe: 4 servings
The story behind the recipe
Harissa gives this tomato sauce enough character to turn cooked chickpeas into dinner. Its chili warmth reaches the mild centers of the beans, while spinach folds through the red sauce and lemon sharpens the finish. The skillet should be generous with sauce, but thick enough for a spoonful to carry beans and tomatoes together.
A Tunisian paste with more than one flavor
Harissa is central to Tunisian cooking. UNESCO's account of its preparation describes dried peppers ground with seasonings including garlic, salt and coriander, often prepared in a family or neighborhood setting. The jar brings that combination of pepper and seasoning into a much shorter home dinner here.
Expect chili warmth, garlic and spice, with the balance depending on the maker. Some pastes are much hotter than others; some are saltier or richer in oil. The name alone doesn't tell you how assertively to use it. Choose paste for this recipe and read the label, especially if you need a vegan product.
The notes give a mild starting option. That's worth using when the jar is unfamiliar or you're feeding people who prefer less heat. The tomatoes and chickpeas remain the same, so the dinner still has substance even with a gentler chili presence.
Read more about this recipe
Cooked beans leave time for the sauce
Starting with cooked chickpeas makes this a pantry dinner. Canned beans work well, provided you weigh them after draining and rinsing. The can's total weight includes packing liquid that isn't part of the amount you need. Home-cooked chickpeas are equally welcome if they've already had their separate cooking time.
The tomatoes need their own simmer before the beans join them. That gives liquid time to evaporate and lets the harissa, onion and garlic spread through a sauce that will cling. A deep skillet has enough room for the batch without making the layer so deep that reducing takes much longer.
Spinach and parsley bring two different fresh notes. The spinach softens into the sauce, while chopped parsley keeps a clearer herbal flavor at the end. Lemon lifts the whole mixture; it doesn't need to make the bowl taste like a citrus dish.
Offer bread if you want something to gather the sauce left behind. Rice is another serving choice, though it changes how much of the chickpea mixture feels like a portion. Either way, leave the beans whole enough to notice: their mild, tender centers are a welcome pause between the spicy spoonfuls.
For another evening, the five-weeknight-dinner collection also has a gentler white bean soup and lemon chicken orzo.
Make it your wayOriginal: 4 servings
Original recipe: 4 servings
Ingredients
For 4 servings. Quantities are shown as written.
Source measurement convention: Metric. Explicit unit definitions take precedence; unconfirmed measures must be checked before conversion.
Original quantities for 4 servings.
- Olive oil30 ml
- Yellow onion, finely diced150 g
- Garlic, finely chopped12 g
- Harissa paste30 g
- Ground cumin2 g
- Canned chopped tomatoes, including juice800 g
- Water150 ml
- Cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed720 g
- Baby spinach150 g
- Fresh lemon juice15 ml
- Flat-leaf parsley, chopped10 g
- Fine salt3 g
Measurement notes
Measurement notes
Original ingredients
- 30 ml olive oil
- 150 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 12 g garlic, finely chopped
- 30 g harissa paste
- 2 g ground cumin
- 800 g canned chopped tomatoes, including juice
- 150 ml water
- 720 g cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 150 g baby spinach
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- 10 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 3 g fine salt
Equipment
12-inch heavy skillet
Instructions
Soften the onion
Heat the olive oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Warm the seasonings
Stir in the garlic, harissa paste and ground cumin for 30 seconds. Keep the heat moderate so the paste does not scorch.
Simmer the sauce
Add the canned chopped tomatoes, water and fine salt. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat the chickpeas
Stir in the cooked chickpeas and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes, until hot throughout and the sauce clings around them.
Finish and serve
Fold in the baby spinach until wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and flat-leaf parsley. Divide among four bowls.
Estimated calories 370 kcal
Nutrition portion: 1/4 of recipe · Original yield: 4 servings
Source & assumptions
Ingredient-based estimate using CoFID 2021, USDA household-measure references, the Norwegian Food Composition Table, representative labels for Al’Fez Harissa Paste. About 370 kcal per nutrition portion (1/4 of the recipe). Uses Al’Fez plain harissa paste as the representative energy reference, rather than an oil-heavy rose harissa. All oil, chickpeas and sauce are included; different paste brands can change the result. Actual ingredients and preparation affect the estimate.
Recipe notes
When adjusting quantities
Use a deep skillet with room to stir. For larger batches use a wider vessel or separate batches; allow the tomato sauce to thicken by its appearance rather than multiplying the simmer time.
Original recipe notes
These notes describe the original recipe. Quantities mentioned here do not change when you adjust servings.
Harissa varies in heat and salt. For a milder first batch, use 15 g paste instead of 30 g; the chickpeas and tomato quantities stay the same. Check the jar ingredients when choosing a vegan product.
This recipe starts with cooked chickpeas. If cooking dried chickpeas, prepare them separately beforehand and weigh 720 g after draining; that preparation is outside the stated time.
Cool and refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Use within 3 to 4 days and reheat to 74°C (165°F).
Read the scaling guide. Times, temperatures and equipment need their own consideration. Open the recipe tool to review and correct individual amounts.
Recipe details
- Course or meal
- Dinner
- Cuisine
- Other / International
- Dietary
- Vegan
- Cooking method
- Stovetop
- Main ingredient
- Beans / legumes
- Occasion
- Weeknight
- Browse category
- Main Dishes
Dietary labels describe this recipe as written. Check product labels and any substitutions for your needs.