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Home » Recipes » Easy dinner recipe » Roasted Harissa Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Spinach

Roasted Harissa Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Spinach

02.28.2021 · Amy Casey · Leave a Comment

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Roasted Harissa Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Spinach. A north African thick spice sauce, harissa is warm, smoky, tangy, and spicy. It’s a perfect compliment to the nutty and slightly sweet cauliflower and chickpeas. Serve this one of a kind recipe as a vegan entrée or vegetarian side dish.

sheet pan with roasted cauliflower, chickpeas and spinach with harissa

This recipe has so much going for it! If you are new to the thick almost paste-like spice sauce that is harissa, I encourage you to give it a try. For my personal chef clients, I slather it on baked salmon, mix it with hummus for a dip with veggies, use it to make salad dressings, and stir it into a homemade marinara sauce for a unique pasta dish.

food processor with cilantro, dried chiles, cumin, tomato paste, garlic, olive oil

what is harissa?

Harissa is a north African condiment that is a thick paste or sauce. Think of it as a much more complex tasting hot sauce. It includes many flavors ~ tangy, spicy, slightly sweet and smoky. With mostly pantry ingredients including tomato paste, extra virgin olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, honey, and dried red chili peppers along with cilantro, garlic and lemon juice, it is easy to make.

With a blender or food processor, harissa is a snap to make. And it will keep for up to 3 months in the refrigerator in an air tight container.

harissa paste in a food processor

the ingredients for roasted harissa cauliflower, chickpeas and spinach

  • tomato paste
  • honey
  • dried red chili peppers
  • garlic
  • cumin
  • smoked paprika
  • kosher salt
  • lemon
  • cilantro
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • cauliflower
  • chickpeas
  • baby spinach
  • raisins

This roasted vegetable dish with cauliflower, chickpeas, spinach and a few sweet raisins is one that pairs well with just about any sautéed, baked or grilled meat. With its multitude of flavors, it is the star of any dinner.

This recipe also is a hearty vegan entrée when you are looking for a meatless meal.

sheet pan with roasted cauliflower, chickpeas and spinach with harissa

chef cooking tips for making harissa cauliflower, chickpeas and spinach

  • A blender or better yet a food processor makes easy work of preparing a batch of harissa. Just add all the ingredients and whirl.
  • To ensure the cauliflower gets of nice char, preheat the baking sheet. Also, do not crowd the cauliflower florets on the pan. This will cause the florets to steam and become mushy as they roast.
  • Use a large sauté pan when cooking the spinach. It will make easy work of containing all the leaves.
sheet pan with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas

If you make this delicious harissa cauliflower, chickpeas, and spinach dish, I’d love hearing from you. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.

Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.

cauliflower and chickpeas with spinach tossed with harissa

more side dish recipe ideas

  • Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Mustard
  • Slow Cooker Ratatouille
  • Garlic Butter Mushrooms with Blue Cheese
  • 20 Minute Cauliflower Rice Pilaf

my cooking videos ~ apple and bacon stuffed sweet potatoes

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pan with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas

Roasted Harissa Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Spinach


  • Author: amycaseycooks
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

A north African thick spice sauce, harissa is warm, smoky, tangy, and spicy. It’s a perfect compliment to the nutty and slightly sweet cauliflower and chickpeas. Serve this one of a kind recipe as a vegan entrée or vegetarian side dish.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 5 dried red chili peppers
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, plus more for serving
  • 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut in florets
  • 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained
  • 8 ounces of baby spinach
  • 3 tablespoons raisins

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven.
  2. In a blender or food processor add the tomato paste, honey, dried red chilies, garlic cloves, cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Pulse the food processor 10 to 15 times, scaping down the sides once or twice. The harissa should be a smooth paste-like texture.
  3. Place the cauliflower florets and chickpeas in a large bowl. Add the harissa and toss to coat the cauliflower and chickpeas.
  4. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and pour the harissa coated cauliflower and chickpeas on it. Make sure to spread out the cauliflower evenly on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes. The cauliflower should be charred in spots.
  5. While the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the pan. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the spinach. Sauté and stir the spinach until almost wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the raisins and continue sautéing for an additional minute.
  6. When the cauliflower and chickpeas are done roasting, remove them from the oven. Add the spinach and raisins to the baking sheet and toss to combine.
  7. Season to taste with additional salt, sprinkle with cilantro leaves and serve.

Notes

  • A blender or better yet a food processor makes easy work of preparing a batch of harissa. Just add all the ingredients and whirl.
  • To ensure the cauliflower gets of nice char, preheat the baking sheet. Also, do not crowd the cauliflower florets on the pan. This will cause the florets to steam and become mushy as they roast.
  • Use a large sauté pan when cooking the spinach. It will make easy work of containing all the leaves.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: entrée or side dish
  • Method: sauté and roast in oven
  • Cuisine: North African

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
  • Calories: 229
  • Sugar: 10.6 g
  • Sodium: 650 mg
  • Fat: 9.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 32.8 g
  • Fiber: 8.3 g
  • Protein: 7.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: cauliflower, chickpeas, harissa, vegan, vegetarian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @amycaseycooks on Instagram and hashtag it #amycaseycooks

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Easy dinner recipe, Entrees, Gluten Free, Healthy recipe, Recipes, Side dish, Vegetarian

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Welcome to amycaseycooks where I share recipes my personal chef clients love and family favorites made in my tiny Jersey shore kitchen. My lifelong love of food lead me to my personal chef business as well as sharing my recipes and cooking tips with you. Thanks for stopping by and I’d love to hear from you!

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