Harissa Black Bean ‘Meatballs’ + Creamy Giant Couscous

By So Vegan

Ingredients

Serves 2 / Prep 20 mins / Cook 27 mins / Total 47 mins

  • Olive oil

    1/2 red onion, peeled + chopped

    2 garlic cloves, peeled + chopped

    2 tsp cumin seeds

    70g oats

    1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained + rinsed (see notes)

    Salt + pepper

  • 2 handfuls of fresh parsley

    3 tbsp rose harissa paste

    1/2 lemon, zest + juice

    500ml vegetable stock

    140g giant couscous

    1/3 cup cream from a tin of coconut milk (see notes)

    80g frozen peas

Method

Drizzle a splash of olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, then cook for 6-8 minutes or until brown, stirring regularly. Next stir in the cumin seeds and fry for 1 minute.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

Transfer the onion mixture to a food processor, along with the black beans, oats, pinches of salt and pepper, 1 handful of fresh parsley, 1 tbsp of rose harissa paste and the lemon zest. Keep pulsing until the mixture has mostly broken down - but avoid over processing the mixture! Take a small handful and use the palms of your hands to roll it into a ball. Repeat until you have 10 evenly-sized balls.

Place the balls on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the stock into a clean pan on a medium-high heat. Bring the stock to a boil and add the couscous. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until al dente. If necessary, add splashes of extra hot water. When the couscous is nearly done, add the coconut cream and frozen peas, then simmer for 1-2 minutes. Finish the couscous with the lemon juice and pinches of salt and pepper. Then chop most of the remaining parsley leaves and stir them in.

 

Finally, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of rose harissa paste and a drizzle of olive oil to a pan on a medium-high heat. When the harissa oil is sizzling, stir in the ‘meatballs’ unti they’re fully coated, then remove from the heat.

 

To serve, divide the couscous between bowls, top with the ‘meatballs’ and the remaining parsley. If you like, finish with a drizzle of harissa oil from the pan.

Notes:

  • It’s important that the drained black beans aren’t too wet when you add them to the food processor. After draining the beans in a colander, we give them a good shake to remove as much excess water as possible.
  • We use rose harissa paste which is less spicy compared to regular harissa paste. You’ll find it in the world foods aisle at most big supermarkets.
  • If you can’t find giant couscous, orzo will work nicely instead.
  • For the coconut cream, we use any good quality tin of full-fat coconut milk. If you pop it in the fridge, the cream should set at the top of the tin, which you can scoop out with a spoon. Store any leftover coconut cream in the fridge using an airtight container. It’ll last for a few days.