Harissa aubergine & chickpeas

A fresh, healthy, low effort meal with sweet, smoky flavours.

This recipe is so tasty and couldn’t be easier! It’s just a case of cooking the aubergine whole until soft and collapsed and then scooping out the flesh and mixing it with chickpeas, harissa and tinned tomatoes.

You can add more or less harissa paste depending on how hot you like it.

It’s nice served hot or cold, so you can choose based on the weather and what you fancy. In winter I like it hot, and in summer cold.

Serve with couscous, creamy refreshing yogurt and sweet crunchy pomegranate seeds for a simple, tasty vegan meal.

You’ll need (serves 2):

• 1 large aubergine

• 1 tin of chickpeas

• 1/2 tin of tinned tomatoes

• 3-4 tbsp harissa paste

• 100g couscous, dried weight

• Small handful parsley, chopped

• Yogurt

• Pomegranate seeds

Cook the aubergine whole in an air fryer or oven until soft and collapsed. This should take about 20 minutes at 200C.

Meanwhile pour boiling water over the couscous, to cover it plus about 1 cm extra. After the water has all be absorbed, mix through the parsley and season with salt.

Cut it in half lengthways and scoop out the middle. Careful it will be hot!

Roughly chop the aubergine and transfer it to a bowl or saucepan over a medium heat if serving hot. Add the chickpeas, tinned tomatoes and a couple of tablespoons of harissa paste. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more harissa paste to taste. If serving hot, cook until hot through, just a couple of minutes is all that’s needed. If serving cold, just mix in the bowl and it’s ready to eat.

Serve with the couscous and a good dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.