Harissa and White Bean Chili

Name: Harissa and White Bean Chili
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small red onion, diced; 2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and diced; 2 jalapeños (1 seeded and diced, 1 sliced into thin rounds for garnish); Kosher salt; 1 (10-ounce) container cherry or grape tomatoes (1 pint); 1 to 2 tablespoons harissa, depending on heat preference; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced; 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce; 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or great Northern, drained and rinsed; 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; Black pepper; 3 packed cups baby spinach; 2 limes, 1 halved, 1 cut into wedges for serving; Full-fat yogurt or sour cream, for serving; 1 avocado, sliced or cubed, for serving; 1/4 cup packed cilantro or parsley leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped or torn, for serving; 1/2 cup crumbled feta or grated Parmesan or mozzarella, for serving

By Yasmin Fahr

Updated Feb. 1, 2022

Harissa and White Bean Chili — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 5(2,935)
Comments: Read comments

The key to achieving depth of flavor in this fresh, nontraditional, 30-minute chili recipe is layering ingredients with bold condiments that do most of the work for you. Here, soy sauce and harissa are used to provide umami, spice and heat. Finish the chili as you’d like, topping it with all of the suggestions below, or skipping the yogurt and feta to keep it vegan. The chili will thicken as it sits, so add a little water when reheating. If you don’t like tomato skins or don’t want to buy fresh tomatoes, substitute 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for the tomatoes, adding it with the harissa. For a more substantial meal, serve with rice or bread, or double the recipe for leftovers.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

2tablespoons olive oil
1small red onion, diced
2red or orange bell peppers, seeded and diced
2jalapeños (1 seeded and diced, 1 sliced into thin rounds for garnish)
Kosher salt
1(10-ounce) container cherry or grape tomatoes (1 pint)
1 to 2tablespoons harissa, depending on heat preference
1teaspoon ground cumin
1teaspoon dried oregano
2garlic cloves, grated or minced
2tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2(15-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or great Northern, drained and rinsed
2cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Black pepper
3packed cups baby spinach
2limes, 1 halved, 1 cut into wedges for serving
Full-fat yogurt or sour cream, for serving
1avocado, sliced or cubed, for serving
¼cup packed cilantro or parsley leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped or torn, for serving
½cup crumbled feta or grated Parmesan or mozzarella, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper and diced jalapeño, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just start to soften in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season lightly with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst, 6 to 7 minutes, lowering the heat if the onions threaten to burn. Stir in the harissa, cumin, oregano and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the soy sauce, scraping up anything on the bottom of the pot, until combined, about 1 minute.
Step 2
Add the white beans and broth, season with salt, and raise the heat to bring it to a gentle boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, then cook until the broth thickens and the beans become soft and creamy, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, about 12 to 15 minutes. Smash any remaining whole tomatoes against the side of the pot. Stir in the spinach in batches until wilted. Squeeze in the lime halves, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Divide among bowls and top each with a spoonful of yogurt, followed by the avocado, cilantro, feta and jalapeño rounds. Serve with the lime wedges.

Ratings

5 out of 5

2,935 user ratings

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Comments

Thierry3 years ago

Many recipes like this one would benefit from a real harissa. Mediterranean lands see the use of some tube of red paste in the way that a French cook would react to adding ketchup to a Beef bourguignon. Roast some red chillis, along with onions and garlic, (nothing fancy: 300 degrees for 40 minutes) add steamed carrot for mass and sweetness. Proportions are entirely dependent on your tastes and the vegetables. Pass it through a mill, adjust seasoning, and you've got a wonderful base.

Uri3 years ago

In my humble experience rinsing beans for a stew is counterproductive and results in a soup. The starchy water they swim in makes the stew silky and thick. I used the starch water from one can and one cup of veg stock and it was perfect.

Sandy3 years ago

@C NYT recipes don’t consider the prep time in their estimated durations, probably because those times can vary widely depending on knife skills, experience, etc. 30 minutes is the time to follow the recipe steps with the cooking durations noted.

Jimbob2 weeks ago

Aside from adding some chopped celery and shredded carrots that I wanted out of the fridge, I followed the recipe almost exactly, for a change. This is one of the better meatless chilis I've made. I used two tablespoons of Trader Joe's harissa paste and enjoyed the heat, but I suspect my version would be much too spicy for most folks.

Deborah VC1 month ago

This was surprisingly delicious. I was a bit dubious about the soy sauce but everything worked wonderfully together. Followed the recipe using 1T of harissa and 1 jalapeño in the stew (spouse sensitive to capsicum). Served with cilantro, avocado, non-fat yogurt, and homemade pickled jalapeños on the side. Fast and delicious. I’ll definitely make this one again.

Lizzy B3 months ago

Yup, this recipe is yummy. I didn’t have enough cannellini beans, so I used half butter beans. It worked out well because the smaller beans provided creaminess and the bigger one held together for texture.

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