These creamy harissa beans are flavor-packed with spicy, sweet and smoky notes, and are the perfect weeknight dinner that comes together in just under 20 minutes.
The holiday season is almost through! And while it can be one of the most magical and joyful times of the year, it can also be one of the most stressful. There’s holiday shopping, finishing up stuff for work that needs to be done before the end of the year, and dealing with the suddenly freezing weather, just to name a few. It’s hard to find time to eat, let alone cook something from scratch. So when you need a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs type of meal that’s super fast and easy to make, these creamy harissa beans are the answer. They’re super fast and easy to make, require little to no prep work, and come together in just about twenty minutes. But don’t let their simplicity fool you. This meal is creamy, hearty, and super flavor-packed thanks to one of my favorite all-in-one ingredients, harissa paste.
Before we go any further, I’m need to say one thing. I love beans. They’re extremely versatile, filling, and a fantastic pantry staple to keep on hand. I love making quick simmered beans, like these creamy harissa beans or my Spanish style smoky white beans as an easy dinner. Or I’ll throw beans into soups and salads like my creamy kale and white bean soup or kale and cannellini bean salad. They pair with just about any flavor combination. And honestly, I think they taste pretty freaking delicious on their own. But they’re also like little sponges that absorb anything you cook them with, which makes cooking them in a really tasty sauce or broth super important. And that’s exactly what these creamy harissa beans provide.
THE MAGIC OF HARISSA
What makes these creamy harissa beans so special and flavorful is obviously the titular flavor: harissa. Harissa is a chili paste made from a variety of dried chili peppers that have been rehydrated and blended with olive oil and spices. It’s usually slightly spicy, but can also be smoky and sweet, or tangy from the addition of lemon juice or vinegar. It’s one little ingredient that packs a huge flavor punch. That makes it perfect for cooking easy weeknight meals like this where you don’t want to start pulling a ton of ingredients off the shelf. I love pairing it with creamy Greek yogurt like I did with these harissa beans, which mellows out the spice of the harissa slightly. And I top it with literally any fresh herb to really brighten up its flavor.
This meal is literally as easy as sautéing some garlic and scallion whites, adding harissa and beans, and letting them simmer together into creamy deliciousness. And once your beans have simmered, serving them up is a breeze. But you’ll want to include a few special ingredients here as well. The first is a really good olive oil. You’ll drizzle it on the beans at the end, making this dish even creamier but also adding some rich, fruity notes that only a good olive oil can provide. And the second is a really good loaf of bread. I opted for sourdough, but any freshly baked hearty loaf will do. Toast up a few slices and you’ll have the perfect accompaniment to soak up all that delicious harissa sauce.
Creamy Harissa Beans
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can cannellini beans (my favorite, but you can use any bean you like)
- 3 tbsp harissa paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-5 scallions, with the white ends sliced
- 1/2 cup stock or water
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- fresh herbs, minced, for serving (you can use the greens from the scallions, or any other fresh herb you like)
- really good olive oil, for serving
- toasted hearty bread, for serving
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Saute garlic and sliced scallion whites until browned and fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add harissa and stir to combine, 1 minute.
- Add beans with their water and stir to combine. Add stock as needed to loosen sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until beans have thickened. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve harissa beans with a scoop of greek yogurt, a drizzle of good olive oil, and fresh herbs alongside toasted hearty bread.
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