This recipe for harissa chickpeas with sweet potatoes is a perfect pantry meal for quarantine cooking. I prepared the chickpeas with maple sweet potatoes for a sweet, spicy, smoky dinner that is perfect for any day of the week.
For this recipe, I prepared a simple, smoky, stewy harissa chickpeas and piled them high on creamy maple sweet potatoes. The finished product is a sweet, spicy, smoky dinner that is easy to prepare but doesn’t go light on flavor.
For the harissa chickpeas, I used tubed harissa and garnished with a dusting of powdered harissa. You can use all powdered or only tubed harissa for this recipe. Right before serving, I added thinly sliced green Swiss chard leaves. If you do not have Swiss chard, replace with any leafy green, such as:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Arugula
- Escarole
If you do not have chickpeas for this recipe, you can use any variety of light-colored beans, such as:
- Cannellini beans
- Navy beans
- Great Northern beans
The maple sweet potatoes are prepared by mashing boiled sweet potatoes with cream, butter, and maple syrup, but you can use honey if you don’t have maple syrup.
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Harissa Chickpeas with Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
Maple Sweet Potatoes:
- 3 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk, more as needed
- ¼ cup maple syrup more or less to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cayenne powder to taste
Harissa Chickpeas:
- 2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
- 1 red Fresno chili pepper trimmed and sliced (or use jalapeño or crushed red pepper)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 15 ounce can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste more or less to taste
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon flour optional
- 4 Swiss chard leaves stems removed, leaves thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Garnish (Optional)
- Harissa powder or chili powder
- Za'atar powder
- Crushed pistachios or slivered almonds
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Start the Maple Sweet Potatoes:
- Cover the sweet potatoes with salted water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain and return to the pot. Keep warm.
Start the Harissa Chickpeas:
- Heat the neutral oil in a wide pot over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and softened.
- Melt the butter into the onions. Once it is melted and frothy, add the sliced chili pepper and the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring frequently to keep the garlic from burning.
- Add the chickpeas and the harissa and toss to coat. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat.
- If desired, scoop out about 1/4 cup of the broth and whisk the flour into it until completely combined. Pour back into the mixture and cook until thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
Finish the Maple Sweet Potatoes:
- Add the milk or cream, maple syrup, and butter to the pot of cooked sweet potatoes and mash until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of cayenne powder.
Finish the Harissa Chickpeas:
- Right before serving, stir the sliced Swiss chard leaves into the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes until wilted. Turn off the heat.
To Serve:
- Divide the sweet potatoes between bowls and use the back of your spoon to smooth out the center in a circular motion to create divets in the center of the potatoes (image the sweet potatoes looking like hummus!).
- Pile the chickpeas on top and garnish as desired – za'atar and harissa powder, crushed pistachios, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
