Harissa Black Beans — a plant-based Mediterranean recipe by BOSH!
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Harissa Black Beans

We make these Harissa Black Beans on rotation and honestly, we're not sorry about it. There's something about that combination of smoky harissa, warm cumin and cinnamon, and silky black beans that just hits differently on a weeknight. The sauce goes thick and glossy and coats everything beautifully, and the whole thing comes together in about 25 minutes. It's bold, it's warming, and it tastes like you've been cooking for hours. Make this tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 25 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Small mixing bowl
  • Colander

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp rose harissa paste
  • 2 x 400g can of black beans
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 15g fresh coriander leaves
  • 15g fresh mint
  • ½ lemon
  • 100g thick coconut yoghurt
  • water to loosen
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 slices of Sourdough toast

Method

1

Prepare the Harissa Black Beans

  • Warm the olive oil in the pan over medium heat
  • Add the onions and a pinch of salt to the pan and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent catching
  • Add the garlic, cumin and cinnamon and stir for 2 minutes
  • Add the tomato puree and harissa paste and stir for 1 minute
  • Add the black beans (including the liquid), stir to combine, turn the heat down and simmer for 8-10 minutes to reduce until silky and thick
  • Taste and season to perfection with salt and pepper
2

Prepare the Fresh Herb Yoghurt Drizzle

  • Pick the mint and coriander leaves, dispose of the stalks, finely chop the leaves and add to a small mixing bowl, reserving a few for garnish
  • Add the yoghurt to the bowl
  • Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl, catching any pips in your free hand
  • Add a splash of water to loosen as necessary
  • Season to perfection with salt and pepper
3

Finish and serve

  • Spoon the Fresh Herb Yoghurt Drizzle over the Harissa Black Beans, garnish with the reserved fresh herbs and serve immediately with the sourdough toast

Tips & Variations

  • Adjust the heat: Harissa pastes vary a lot in spice level depending on the brand, so taste as you go and add more or less to suit. We usually taste after a minute and decide from there.
  • Serve it your way: We love this spooned over fluffy rice or flatbreads, but it's also brilliant on toast with a handful of fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon on top.
  • Make it stretch: If you want to bulk it out a bit, add a tin of chickpeas alongside the black beans. Henry does this when he's feeding more than two people and it works a treat.

Why This Works

The trick here is cooking down the tomato puree and harissa paste together before adding the beans. That one minute of stirring deepens the flavour massively and gets rid of any rawness. We also love that the beans go in with their liquid, because that starchy bean water is what makes the sauce turn silky and thick rather than watery. Trust us on this one.