Harissa is a very hot paste made with lots of chillies. It’s commonly found in Tunisia and Morocco and is one of my favourite ingredients. You can buy it online or from good delis. My supermarket stocks it. It comes in a tube and is brilliant to keep in the fridge for an instant chilli hit. If you can’t find commercial harissa you know I’ve got you covered in the variations below.
Spicy Carrot & Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 onions finely sliced into 1/2 moons
- 1 bunch baby carrots tops reserved
- 4 chicken thigh fillets halved lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon harissa
- 1 tablespoon sherry or wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200C (400F). Place onion, carrots and chicken in a roasting tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring about half way through.
- Meanwhile, combine harissa, vinegar and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Taste and season.
- When the carrots, onion and chicken are cooked remove from the oven and drizzle over the dressing. Serve with carrot tops sprinkled over.
Variations
side salad – skip the chicken if you prefer.
no carrot tops – if your carrot tops aren’t nice (or a non existent) replace with a bag of salad leaves or bunch of flat leaf parsley or coriander leaves.
grown-up carrots – replace baby carrots with 4 regular carrots halved lengthwise.
vegetarian / vegan – replace chicken with a drained can of chickpeas, white beans, mushrooms or eggplant.
no harissa – replace with any chilli paste or hot sauce such as sambal oleck or sriracha. You could also substitute 2-4 large fresh red chillies that have been finely chopped.
different veg – also lovely with sweet potato, parsnip, regular potatos, swede or beets. Some veg may need cooking for longer.
more substantial – serve with flat bread or couscous that has been cooked according to the packet with some extra butter added or serve with cooked quinoa, brown rice or boiled potatoes.
short on time – pan fry chicken and onions instead and serve with the dressing raw grated carrots.
more veg – serve with a green salad or add mushrooms or eggplant with the chicken.
family friendly – use less harissa or serve dressing on the side.
low carb – replace carrots with 1 large head broccoli or a small cauliflower. And use baby spinach or salad leaves instead of the carrot tops.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
onion – will keep in the pantry for months. Best if in a dark corner in a brown paper bag.
carrots – keep in a plastic bag in the fridge for weeks. Can be frozen if you’re leaving town!
chicken thigh fillets – freeze them.
harissa / sherry or wine vinegar – keep them in the pantry.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
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