Waitrose Harissa Chicken and Chickpeas

Serves 4| Prep time 20 min| Total time 55 min

I originally came across this harissa chicken and chickpea recipe on a Waitrose recipe card. I think what I like most about it is its simplicity, although I admit it may be lacking in green leafy veg! It couples warm spices in the harissa sauce and cumin coated chickpeas with fresh and fragrant parsley and lemon couscous.

To make this even healthier, why not add spinach to the harissa sauce 5 minutes before the end of cooking time. I would also serve this dish with a side of broccoli or dwarf green beans and swap out the couscous for a different grain, such as quinoa or bulgur wheat.

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced in strips

3 tsp garlic paste, or 3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red chilli, de-seeded and diced

1 jar of harissa paste (~90g)

1 tin chopped tomatoes (~400g)

6-8 chicken thighs, on the bone

~200g couscous (or x2 110g bags lemon and coriander couscous)

1 tin of couscous, drained and rinsed (400g)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 large handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven at 200°C/gas mark 6.

2. In a large, deep frying pan (with a lid) or casserole dish, fry the onion in 2 tbsp olive oil, for four minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and chilli, and fry for two minutes.

3. Next, stir in the harissa paste, add the chopped tomatoes and mix in the chicken thighs. Generously season with salt and black pepper. Take half of the chopped parsley and half of the lemon zest and stir into the sauce.

4. Place the lid on the frying pan or casserole dish and cook in the oven for 35 minutes, until the chicken and juices are no longer pink, and run clear.

5. If serving with bulgur wheat or quinoa, boil according to pack instructions (~10 and ~15 minutes respectively). Alternatively, skip to step 6.

6. Meanwhile, in a roasting tin, add the chickpeas, 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin, ground coriander, and red chilli powder. Toss the tin gently to fully coat the chickpeas in the spices. Roast the chickpeas in the oven for the final 15 minutes of the cooking time.

7. If serving with couscous, prepare according to pack instructions in a large bowl. This should take approximately 5 minutes.

8. Once the water has been absorbed, fluff the (couscous/quinoa/bulgur wheat) grains with a fork and mix in the lemon juice with the zest and parsley.

9. Serve the grains with the chickpeas and harissa chicken. Garnish with any left over parsley.