Have you ever tried harissa? It’s a wonderful spice that adds so much flavour and a little spice to pretty much anything it touches. So today I’m bringing you this Harissa Spiced Quinoa with a little North African flare.
What is Harissa?
Harissa is a hot chili pepper paste, commonly used in North Africa. It’s mainly made up of roasted red peppers, spices and herbs like garlic, coriander seeds, cumin and olive oil. It’s full of flavour and delicious. Many supermarkets carry it in the regular section. Sometimes, it will be located in the international section, so don’t forget to ask.
If you’re new to using Quinoa, it’s a great alternative to things like rice and couscous. Much like my Cilantro Lime Quinoa dish or my Leek & Lemon Quinoa, this on is full of flavour and doesn’t disappoint. Let’s take a look!
Ingredients
- Fresh – zucchini, cauliflower and cilantro
- Dry and canned goods – quinoa, chickpeas
- Seasonings and stock – vegetable stock, olive oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper
- Flavours – harissa paste
- Dairy – feta cheese
REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found at the end of the post in the recipe card.
Instructions for The Harissa Spiced Quinoa
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower and zucchini on a large baking tray. Drizzle over olive oil and add the cumin and coriander. Stir well to coat completely. Roast for about 20 minute or until soft and golden.
- In a large deep sided skillet set over medium heat, add the quinoa. Toss it around until it becomes aromatic and starts to pop, about 2-3 minutes. Add the stock and harissa paste. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and leave to cook for about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Transfer the quinoa to a large serving dish and add the roasted vegetables and chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Top with crumbled feta and fresh cilantro.
- Can be served immediately or at room temperature.
Notes about the Harissa Spiced Quinoa
- Dry fry the quinoa – First and foremost and not to be skipped, dry fry the quinoa! I can’t express how important this is to get a good end result. My first attempts at quinoa were all disastrous. It was an inedible stodgy mess. Yuck. Then I read somewhere that dry frying the quinoa will prevent this. And it worked like magic. I don’t know the science behind it, it just works.
- Can be served hot or cold – I served this hot as soon as it was cooked. But ate it the following day for my lunch all on it’s own and it was great that way as well.
- Topped with feta cheese – I only topped the dish with feta but you could add more if you like and stir it in for a more substantial dish. Also, I served this as a side dish to roasted chicken. But you could have it as a lunch or even a light dinner.
Like what you see today? Don’t forget you can follow on Facebook for daily inspiration or over on Instagram where I sometimes do daily cooking videos for fun! I’m also on Pinterest which is a great place that you can save and share your favourite recipes. As well, if you haven’t yet, Subscribe to the newsletter. You’ll be notified whenever there’s a new recipe! You can do that at the top of the page.
Get the recipe!
Harissa Spiced Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups quinoa
- 2 Cups vegetable stock
- 1 Cup chickpeas cooked
- 1/2 head cauliflower cut into small florets
- 1 medium zucchini halved length ways and cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons harissa paste
- 1 Teaspoon cumin
- 1 Teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 Cup feta cheese crumbled
- Salt
- Pepper
- Small bunch fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower and zucchini on a large baking tray. Drizzle over olive oil and add the cumin and coriander. Stir well to coat completely. Roast for about 20 minute or until soft and golden.
- In a large deep sided skillet set over medium heat, add the quinoa. Toss it around until it becomes aromatic and starts to pop, about 2-3 minutes. Add the stock and harissa paste. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and leave to cook for about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Transfer the quinoa to a large serving dish and add the roasted vegetables and chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Top with crumbled feta and fresh cilantro.
- Can be served immediately or at room temperature.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!
