Harissa Chickpeas with Caramelized Onions and Greens (2025)

Caramelized onion Harissa chickpeas is a super quick, one pan meal with lots of caramelized onions, greens, and chickpeas in a creamy, spicy sauce. Gluten-free soyfree nutfree

Harissa is the flavor base along with a little bit of coconut cream. For the greens, I used chard. You can use spinach, collard greens, amaranth leaves, mustard leaves, or any other leafy greens of choice.

I used chickpeas for the beans here, but this recipe is also great with white beans or butter beans or other beans or lentils. If you don’t like harissa or too much spice, you can change up the flavor profile and use tomato paste instead.

These are super versatile beans and can be served any which way over rice or with naan, flatbread, or crusty bread for dipping. You can even spoon them over baked potatoes!

Why You’ll Love Harissa Chickpeas

• creamy-spicy-saucy beans that you can serve in so many ways!
• hearty, healthy, and filling
• lots of options to change the flavor profile, including a less spicy option
• naturally gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free

More Ways to Use Harissa

• 1-Skillet Harissa Pasta
• Black Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Harissa Hash
• Harissa Chickpea Stew with Sweet Potato
• West African Peanut Lentil Soup

Ingredients and Substitutions

• onion – Caramelized onion gives these harissa beans such a rich, deep flavor and texture!
• balsamic vinegar – Brings out the sweetness of the caramelized onions and adds a nice tang.
• garlic paste – Deepens the umami flavors.
• dried spices – Smoked paprika brings out the harissa paste’s smokiness while oregano adds more earthy flavor.
• harissa paste – This is the flavor base for the dish. If you want to make this with less spice, use tomato paste and roasted red bell pepper instead
• leafy greens – I used Swiss chard, but you can use any leafy greens you like, such as collars, spinach, mustard greens, etc. You can also add more or less greens, to your preference.
• chickpeas – Bring the protein! You can use white beans, if you prefer.
• coconut milk or coconut cream – Makes these harissa chickpeas super saucy and offsets the heat from the harissa paste. Coconut cream will give you the thickest, richest sauce. You can use cashew or oat milk, a mix of non-dairy yogurt and non-dairy milk, or 1/4 cup tofu blended in 3/4 cups water instead, if you don’t want to use coconut.
• garnishes – Lemon juice adds tang, cilantro adds zest and freshness, and black pepper bumps up the heat a bit more.

Tips

• Browning the onions well is key to this recipe, so take your time here! If the pan starts to get dry while you’re cooking, add a splash of water. This will help the onions brown more quickly and evenly.
• For a similar dish with less heat, omit the harissa, reduce the amount of smoked paprika and use tomato paste and sliced bell pepper instead. You’ll also want to add more oregano to make up for the flavor your lose by omitting the harissa.

How to Make Harissa Chickpeas

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, and once it’s hot, add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well to coat, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.

If the pan is drying out too much, add two to three teaspoons of water to help the pan conduct heat and for the onions to brown evenly. seven to nine minutes.

Then, once the onions are translucent and starting to get golden on some outer edges, add the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Continue to cook for another three to four minutes.

Add in the garlic, smoked paprika, harissa, and oregano, and mix really well. Cook for a minute, so that the garlic gets cooked.

Now, add in the chard, remaining salt, the chickpeas, and the coconut cream and mix really well.

Partially cover the pan, and simmer for eight to 10 minutes, then taste and adjust the flavor.

If you want more sauce, you can add more nondairy milk. If you used full fat coconut milk, the sauce probably didn’t thicken as much, and if you want it to thicken even more, add in a tablespoon or two of non-dairy yogurt or sour cream.

Add in a good squeeze of lemon juice and adjust salt and heat as needed.

Let everything simmer for another minute or two, if you want the sauce to thicken and glaze over the chickpeas. Switch off the heat and garnish with cilantro or parsley along with some black pepper and some more lemon juice.

Serve with flatbread or rice or with some sourdough toast or garlic bread or whatever else that you like.

Frequently Asked Questions