Braised Chickpeas with Harissa and Yogurt
A vegetarian main that eats like a stew, with none of the standing over the pot.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Written
Method
-
Warm the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
-
Stir in the garlic, harissa, cumin, and coriander and cook until the paste darkens and smells toasted, about 1 minute.
-
Add the chickpeas, crushed tomatoes, and broth, and bring to a simmer.
-
Partially cover and simmer, mashing a few chickpeas against the side of the pot as you go, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon, about 30 minutes.
-
Season with flaky salt, then swirl in half the yogurt off the heat until just streaked through, not fully mixed in.
-
Spoon into bowls and top with the remaining yogurt, lemon zest, and parsley.
Notes
The mashed chickpeas are what thicken this, not flour or cream — press a spoon against a few of them halfway through simmering and the starch does the rest. Rush the simmer and you get chickpeas in tomato water instead of a stew that holds together.
White beans work in place of chickpeas if that’s what’s in the pantry. Serve with something to mop the pot: a torn piece of focaccia is the obvious choice if you have a loaf going.