Slow Cooker Harissa Bean and Couscous Stew

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Slow Cooker Harissa Bean and Couscous Stew
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist. Mariana Velásquez.
Total Time
6 hours 30 minutes plus overnight soaking
Prep Time
10 minutes plus overnight soaking
Cook Time
6 hours 20 minutes plus overnight soaking
Rating
4(218)
Comments
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This weeknight-friendly stew is loosely inspired by North African tomato and bean dishes, like loubia. The stew has minimal prep, aside from soaking the beans, so it’s easy to throw into the slow cooker in the morning. Just before serving, it’s enriched with pearl couscous and a generous dose of zippy parsley. Harissa pastes differ in flavor and saltiness; taste yours before using it to make sure you like it, and adjust the amount of salt added at the end if necessary. You can always stir in more harissa before serving for extra spice. Orzo or ditalini can be used instead of couscous.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 8ounces (about 1¼ cups) dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight and drained (see Tip)
  • 1(12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
  • ⅓cup harissa paste
  • ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1tablespoon packed light brown sugar
  • 1teaspoon onion powder
  • 1teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
  • 1(15-ounce) can tomato purée
  • ¾cup pearl couscous
  • 1cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1tablespoon coarse kosher salt
  • Labneh or yogurt, for topping
  • Chopped salted almonds, for topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

363 calories; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 593 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the beans, roasted peppers, harissa paste, olive oil, garlic, carrots, tomato paste, sugar, onion powder, turmeric and paprika in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Stir in 4 cups of water and cook on high until the beans are very tender, about 6 hours. (The stew holds well on warm.)

  2. Step 2

    About 20 minutes before you want to eat, turn the heat back up to high if it has switched to warm. Stir in the tomato purée, couscous, parsley and salt. Cook until the couscous is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve in bowls topped with labneh and almonds.

Tips
  • Beans should reach a simmer and cook until tender to be safe to eat. Make sure they cook at a simmer for at least 15 minutes at some point in the cooking process.
  • If you plan on leftovers, cook the couscous separately and add it to individual bowls. Leftover couscous in the stew will swell and get too soft.

Ratings

4 out of 5
218 user ratings
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Comments

Gail S

I'm not a chef, but I tend to use a big Dutch oven or stock pot for recipes like this, since it's less convenient for me to reach up into the upper cabinet and pull down the slow cooker. I'd personally cook the beans separately after soaking them--maybe an hour or two? Drain them, and then add them to the other ingredients. Bring them to a boil, and then simmer them, with or without the lid, depending on whether it seems to have too much liquid. Other commenters may chime in with better advice.

Curious

Do you have to use dried beans? What about just using canned beans?

Penny Smith

I used canned beans from the cupboard, regular couscous & tomato sauce from my pantry, as I didn't want to go to the store or wait for the slow cooker. It was quick and easy. Soups can always be tweeked for what you have on hand.

Carol Rose Kahn (Thanks to Michigan Public Radio for my NYT cooking subscription )

I used Harissa that my son and his wife brought home from Morocco. I didn't have cous cous in stock and subsituted instead rice. Also used a jar of Mole sauce. Also used homemade chicken stock. I must say , it smells wonderful in our home right now.

csunstone

Really tasty winter day stew. I made it almost exactly as written — except that I began with 20 minutes of pressure cooking, followed by a couple hours of slow cooking, in the interest of having it ready by dinner time. (I also followed the tip about cooking the couscous separately, since this will be several meals for me over the course of the week.) And it worked just fine.

Instant Pot User

Adapted to the instant pot with first round of 35 mins pressure cooking, release, add couscous parsley salt, another 7 minutes pressure cooking. Delicious!

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