Welcome back to QCK!
Today’s recipe is my new favorite side-dish, or maybe just my new favorite thing in general. Harissa Broccoli hits every note from sweet to spicy. If you’re looking to impress on your next at-home date night or dinner with friends, this is totally the way to go. Also, bookmark it if you’re looking to add some new flavors to your traditional holiday meal.
Okay, so this clearly is not your average school lunch, overcooked, under-seasoned broccoli. This broccoli is cooked perfectly so the stems stay crisp and the dark green tops soften up with crispy, burnt ends. The harissa is made from dried guajillo, ancho and, Arbol chiles that are puréed with cumin, cilantro, and a big squeeze of lemon juice. It has a naturally warm, nutty flavor and a subtle but delicious heat. To finish, the broccoli gets drizzled with a pine nut condiment. Made up of toasted pine nuts, sweet golden raisins, and fresh cilantro all mixed with a high quality extra virgin olive oil.
The other beautiful thing about this recipe is that you can keep it super simple by using your favorite store-bought harissa paste, or you can make your own at home. I always make harissa paste at home, it’s so much more flavorful. If you have the extra time, I encourage you to do so too. I was really intimidated the first time I made harissa, but once the process gets going it’s actually very simple. For me, it was a nice reminder to push myself into new ingredients and flavors without holding back.
Substitutions and Add Ons
- Broccoli can be substituted for cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.
- Harissa Paste can be homemade or store-bought.
- Pine nuts can be substituted for peanuts or cashews.
- Cilantro can be substituted with parsley.
- Lemon Juice can be substituted for lime juice.
- You can also add: cauliflower, feta, goat cheese.
Recipe
| Prep: 40 Min | Cook: 20 Min | Category: Sides | Servings: 4 |
Ingredients
For the Harissa
- 1 Dried Ancho Chile
- 2 Dried Guajillo Chiles
- 15 Dried Chiles de Arbol
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1/4 bunch Cilantro
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 3 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the Pine Nut Condiment
- 1/4 Bunch Cilantro, chopped
- 3 Tbsp Golden Raisins, roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp Pinenuts, toasted
- 1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt, to taste
For the Broccoli
- 1 lb Broccoli, cut into florets
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions
- Start by making the harissa paste. In a medium pot, cover ancho, guajillo, and chiles de Arbol in water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft and pliable.
- Remove from heat and leave the peppers in the water. Cool to room temperature.
- Remove the peppers from the water.
- Remove the stems and seeds from each pepper, I suggest wearing gloves for this step if you have them.
- In a food processor, combine the peppers, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Blend on high until dry paste forms.
- Add lemon juice, vinegar, tomato paste, paprika, and salt. Continue to blend while slowly drizzling in olive oil.
- Blend until smooth, wet paste forms. Remove from the food processor and store in a sealable container until ready to use.
- Next, make the pinenut condiment by combining cilantro, raisins, and pinenuts with olive oil and kosher salt. Mix and set aside.
- To make the broccoli, preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare a broiling pan by filling the bottom of the pan with 1/4 inch of water.
- In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place the broccoli on the broiler pan and bake 7-10 minutes on each side.
- When finished, the broccoli should be bright green and the stems should be slightly firm while the tops are soft.
- Once the broccoli is finished, toss it in harissa paste and top with pine nut condiment. Store any remaining harissa in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Serve warm.
As always, I hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you tried it out let me know in the comments. For more recipes check out my homepage and follow along on Instagram. Don’t forget to like, follow, comment and share. Thanks for reading!
Quarter Cup Kitchen 