Harissa Fig and Chickpea Stew

Smoky, spicy, and subtly sweet, this harissa fig and chickpea stew combines all of our favorite flavors into one sweet and savory dish.

4.23 from 22 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 50

Servings:

Calories: 367kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

16 ounces fresh figs (divided)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
3 ribs celery (trimmed and diced)
6 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
¼ cup harissa paste (I recommend starting with 1 to 2 tablespoons of paste and add more to taste depending on your spice tolerance)
15-ounce can diced tomatoes
15-ounce can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2 cups water
4 scallions (optional; see Note 1)
¼ cup raw pistachios (crushed)
½ ounce fresh mint (stemmed; leaves torn; a few leaves reserved for garnish)
1 small lemon (juiced and zested; about 1 tablespoon juice and 1 teaspoon zest total)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Pinch flaky sea salt
4 scallions (minced, optional; see Note 1)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the figs:

Remove the stems from all of the figs. Slice 2 figs into thin wedges (I cut each fig into eighths) and transfer to a bowl. Dice the remaining figs and set aside.

Cook the aromatics:

Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until it softens. Add the celery and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until just fragrant.

Sizzle the harissa paste:

Add the harissa paste to the pot and cook for 1 minute, lightly mashing the paste into the aromatics.

Simmer the stew:

Add the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, diced figs, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer the stew, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Prepare the garnish:

To the bowl of sliced figs, add the pistachios, lemon juice, zest, mint leaves, and a pinch of salt to taste. Add 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and toss to combine. Set aside.

To serve:

Divide the stew between shallow bowls and spoon the fig garnish on top. Scatter the reserved mint leaves on top of each bowl. Finish with minced scallions, if using. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: I've served this stew with minced scallions on top in the past, but sometimes prefer it without the scallions or I simply don't have any on-hand. While they're a great addition, you can certainly skip them if you want to save yourself time!

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @triedandtruerecipes or tag #triedandtruerecipes so I can feature you in my feed!