When most people hear the term “braised”, they often think of a large chunk of meat, like short ribs. “Braising” is when you cook something low & slow covered in lots of oil and other liquids (like wine or stock), until it becomes tender and delicious. While braised short ribs are fully incredible and a go-to for special occasions, I don’t have the time or the wallet to make them for a casual Tuesday night dinner. Enter: Chickpeas.
I love chickpeas in all forms. I love them stewed, roasted, fried, braised, hummused, etc. I love them because they’re versatile, I love them because they soak up the flavors around them, I love them because they’re full of protein.
And I love them because chickpeas are CHEAP. I’m talking $1 a can for the organic variety. Short ribs could never.
You see as a twenty something on a teacher's salary, cheap eats that are both filling and healthy are always ideal. But, they are especially ideal when you owe hundreds of dollars to the great state of New York. Why do I owe money to the Empire State you may ask? GREAT QUESTION.
There I was driving Betty (my car for those new here) to upstate NY for a much needed girl’s weekend. I was AMPED– a weekend filled with wine, a spa trip, a murder mystery, and female friendship, the most wonderful renewable source in the world (as my friend Erin put it).
Let me quickly say that even though I am a Midwesterner by birth, I’ve absorbed a lot of East Coast energy these last 10 years. Obviously some things will never change, like calling exercise shoes “tennis shoes” and continuing to root for the Chicago Bears despite the constant heartbreak, but I’m certainly not a Midwestern driver anymore. Once you drive in Boston with the rest of the Massholes for a few years, you learn to be VERY aggressive–it’s eat or be eaten out in these streets!
So on a 6 hour drive to upstate NY with excitement flowing through my veins, I may have gone a little heavy on the gas pedal. In my defense, I was going with the flow of traffic! Everyone else was speeding too (she pleads)! But, when I saw a cop just ahead in the median strip, I made a rookie mistake (probably thanks to the small remnants of wholesome Midwesterner still in me)–I started to break a little bit. And that’s all the cop needed to realize, looks like this one has a conscience in her, and I was the lucky winner of being pulled over.
I’ve never been pulled over for speeding (or anything else) before. The neurotic, type A, rule following child inside me was weeping. I was a REBEL. If high school me could see me now! (Note: this is coming from the girl that went to school on senior ditch day). My mind ran through all the possible things I could do: Should I cry? Attempt to use my (nonexistent) feminine wiles? Call my dad, master of getting out of tickets?
Ultimately I chickened out of doing any of those things and accepted the ticket (and my fate) which was a MISTAKE. Because the state of New York is out here STEALING from poor teachers like me. This speeding ticket was $350!!! Three hundred and fifty American big ones!!
But, wait, there’s more! Apparently I also had to pay an additional THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS for a “Driver Responsibility Assessment”. So $650 total for my first ticket ever. You can’t make this stuff up.
SO moral of the story is NEVER speed in NY State. Honestly maybe avoid driving there all together?? It’s at your own risk! But, if you do ever find yourself on the other side of an astronomical speeding ticket or just need something comforting and less pricey than meat, these Harissa Braised Chickpeas are for you!
Minorly adapted from Molly Yeh’s recipe on Food Network, I honestly feel like these chickpeas embody me in this whole situation—poor and a little spicy, but full of character and nuance! Chickpeas are gently simmered in lots of olive oil, white wine, and harissa, a North African chile sauce that I am obsessed with. Harissa is a wonderful condiment to cook with and very much worth the buy! You’ll only use a few tablespoons, but a jar lasts a while in the fridge and it can be used in a variety of dishes and recipes (especially these days where it’s become very ~trendy~). There are a lot of different types of harissa, so see my Notes section for more information!
These chickpeas have been one of my go-to meals for years and are one of my family’s favorites (even my meat loving father has requested them which honestly is the best endorsement I can give this dish). They are a little bit spicy, but not overwhelmingly so, and lend themselves perfectly to being served with two of my favorite things: pita bread and wine.
So do yourself a favor–skip the meat and simmer these flavor packed chickpeas the same way I will be driving exclusively from now on until I’m a millionaire: slowly.
Braised Harissa Chickpeas with Lemony Yogurt
Servings: Serves 3-4 as a main, 6 as a side
Total Time: ~ 65 minutes
Active Time: ~ 20 minutes
Inactive Time: ~45 minutes
Ingredients:
For the chickpeas
1 small onion, diced
2 tbls harissa sauce (*see notes for more information on this!)
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 tsp anchovy paste (Don’t skip this!!! I PROMISE you won’t taste it, but it brings so much!)
3/4 cup white wine (bonus: this means you can drink the rest of the wine while cooking/eating)
2 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (you’ll use the other half for the yogurt!)
1/4 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (mint, dill, or parsley–or a mix if you love herbs like me!)
Optional: Pita bread, crumbled feta
For the yogurt
1 cup full fat, plain Greek yogurt
Juice of 1/4 to 1/2 a lemon (depending on the juiciness of the lemon and preferences)
1 tbls olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Directions:
Cook the Onion: In a large pot or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the Spices: Add the harissa, garlic, and anchovy paste and cook for 1-2 minutes until the anchovy paste is dissolved and the garlic is fragrant. Then, add the wine. Simmer until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the Chickpeas: Add the rinsed chickpeas, thyme, 1/2 cup of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix together.
Cook the Chickpeas: Turn down heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are soft and have absorbed most of the liquid. After 40 minutes, take off the cover and raise the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for another 5 minutes until a bit more of the liquid has evaporated. There should be a little oil left in the pot (perfect for pita bread sopping).
Make the Yogurt Sauce: While the chickpeas cook, mix the greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil together. Add more salt and lemon juice to your preferences!
Finish the Chickpeas: Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add more salt or lemon to your personal preference.
Assemble: Spoon a large portion of the chickpeas into a bowl. Dollop the yogurt sauce and sprinkle the herbs (and crumbled feta if you want!) on top. Serve with pita bread if you so desire (which I often do)!
Notes:
There are a WIDE variety of harissa products (which, as a harissa lover, is honestly thrilling to me). Some come as a paste in a tube like this, while others are a jarred sauce like this. I use the jarred sauce in mine (see the ingredients picture above). If you can only find the paste, use 1 tablespoon rather than 2, as the tube paste is usually hotter and more concentrated!
Dietary Notes:
Pescatarian recipe. Omit the anchovies for true vegetarian.
Vegan: Omit the feta. Use plain dairy free yogurt rather than greek yogurt.
Gluten Free (with gluten free pita).
Re-heating Instructions:
SUCH good leftovers!!! Just store the chickpeas, yogurt, and herbs separately. Then, reheat the chickpeas in the microwave and then dollop the leftover yogurt and herbs on top.
Side Dish Suggestions:
Warmed pita bread (I recommend microwaving or warming in a skillet). Stay tuned for my favorite pita from scratch recipe in the coming weeks!
Can’t get enough of the harissa? Make these Harissa Carrots (pictured)!
A nice chilled white or light red wine.
Substitutions:
Anchovy paste: I PROMISE you won’t know the anchovies are there, but they add so much!! You won’t use it all, but it keeps in the fridge for a while (Caesar dressing anyone?). If you truly can’t concede to this logic though, either omit them or add a little worcestershire sauce.
Fresh thyme: There’s never enough thyme in the day amiright? If you don’t have any, feel free to use 3/4 tsp of dried thyme.
Harissa: Seeing as though harissa is in the recipe name, a substitution is tough (and luckily many stores have it these days!). But, if you can’t find it, check out this homemade recipe!