Harissa Beans with Whipped Feta

Harissa Beans with Whipped Feta

This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to when we want something that feels a bit special but doesn't take all night. Smoky, spiced harissa beans nestled in roasted tomatoes and peppers, topped with the creamiest whipped feta you've ever had. The contrast between the punchy, saucy beans and that cool, tangy feta is just brilliant. Honestly, it takes about 55 minutes and it tastes like something you'd order at a proper Mediterranean restaurant. Make it tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 55 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large ovenproof skillet
  • Bullet blender
  • Tongs
  • Potato masher

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large bulb of garlic
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 400g tin of Polpa chopped tomatoes
  • 570 jar of butter beans
  • 2 tbsp harissa paste
  • salt, pepper & sugar to taste
  • 200g plant-based feta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp cold water
  • 5g fresh dill
  • toasted sourdough
  • plant-based butter
  • olive oil for drizzling

Method

1

Prepare the ingredients

  • Halve, destem, core the pepper and cut into thin slices
  • Cut the top off the sprouting end of the garlic bulb
2

Cook the base

  • Add the tomatoes and pepper to the skillet, drizzle over a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  • Nestle the garlic bulb in the middle of the tomatoes and peppers
  • Put the pan in the oven and roast for 25 minutes
3

Prepare the whipped feta

  • Add the feta, oil and water to the bullet blender and blitz into a cream (add a little more water to reach the desired mayo-like consistency)
4

Prepare the roasted garlic and finish the roast

  • Remove the pan from the oven
  • Use tongs to remove garlic bulb and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes
  • When cool enough to handle, squeeze the roast garlic into the gap in the centre of the pan (if the garlic is still a bit firm microwave it for 2 minutes)
  • Mash the garlic into a puree with the back of a spoon in the centre of the pan
  • Add the harissa to the roast garlic puree
  • Pour the polpa tomatoes over the roast tomatoes and peppers
  • Sprinkle over a little sugar and fold the contents of the pan together with a wooden spoon
  • Drain the butterbeans, add them to the pan and fold into the sauce
  • Put the pan back in the oven and roast for a further 25 minutes
5

Time to serve

  • Toast and butter the bread to your liking
  • Remove the pan from the oven
  • Spoon the whipped feta into the pan and swirl it into the dish
  • Garnish with dill
  • Season with salt and pepper
  • Drizzle over a little olive oil and serve immediately with the toast

Tips & Variations

  • Go easy on the harissa at first: Different brands vary a lot in heat, so start with a little less than you think you need and taste as you go. You can always stir more in.
  • Make the whipped feta your secret weapon: If you've got a few extra minutes, blitz the feta with a splash of lemon juice and a little olive oil until it's really smooth and airy. It makes a huge difference to the final dish.
  • Serve it with something to scoop: Warm flatbreads or crusty sourdough are ideal here. The sauce is too good to leave in the pan, trust us on this one.

Why This Works

The trick is roasting the whole garlic bulb right in with the tomatoes and peppers. It mellows out and goes all sweet and jammy, and when you squeeze it into the sauce it adds this incredible depth that you just can't get from raw or fried garlic. The whipped feta is the other game-changer here, that creamy, salty cloud on top balances the heat of the harissa perfectly.