Harissa Roasted Veg Ramen
Harissa is a North African chili paste that operates differently from most hot sauces. It's not just heat, it's roasted red peppers and caraway and coriander and garlic all ground together with oil into something that tastes like an argument that came to a peaceful resolution. It does something transformative to vegetables in a hot oven: they blister and char and absorb the paste and their natural sweetness comes forward in a way that raw heat alone wouldn't produce. This bowl takes that roasted vegetable situation and puts it into a broth, which means you get the caramelized vegetables on top and the harissa-stained broth underneath, and the ramen noodles move between both.
Harissa blisters skin—eggplant collapses in heat—the oven does the work
Let Me Tell You...
Roasting vegetables with harissa is one of the more forgiving techniques in this book, in the sense that the oven does most of the work and most of the decisions happen before the vegetables go in.
You coat them, you put them on a sheet pan without crowding, and you wait.
What comes out is concentrated and sweet and charred in the places you want and soft in the places you need, and the harissa has baked into the surface in a way that no amount of stovetop stirring produces.
The oven is the tool.
Let it be the tool.
Vegetables need space or they steam instead of roast. Use two pans if necessary rather than piling everything together.
The quality of harissa matters here more than it does in a dish where it's a background flavor.
There's a significant difference between jarred harissa from a specialty grocery and the tube of paste you find at the bottom of the international aisle that has been there since the previous decade.
Rose harissa, the Tunisian version with rose petals added, is the most interesting version if you can find it.
It adds a floral quality that sounds unlikely and is exactly right.
Taste the paste first, as heat level varies significantly between brands.
The chickpeas get roasted on the same pan as the vegetables but they need more time and higher heat to crisp up, so they go on a separate section of the pan and come out crunchier and almost snack-like.
They're the textural component the bowl needs, because the roasted vegetables and the ramen noodles are both soft, and without the chickpeas the bowl lacks the crunch that makes eating it interesting for the full duration.
Moisture prevents crisping.
Lay them on a towel and press firmly for a full minute.
The bowl is vegan and doesn't spend any energy making that obvious, which is the goal with all vegan dishes that are good enough to not require the label.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried ramen noodles (2 bricks, seasoning packets discarded)
- 1 medium eggplant (about 12 oz), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch half-moons
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried thoroughly
- 3 tablespoons harissa paste, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh mint leaves, for serving
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425F. Toss eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper with 2 tablespoons harissa, 2 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, coriander, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet without crowding.
- Toss dried chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt on a separate section of the pan (or a second pan). Roast everything for 25-30 minutes, flipping vegetables halfway through, until edges are charred and chickpeas are crispy. The chickpeas may need 5 more minutes than the vegetables.
- While vegetables roast, make the broth: Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon harissa, tomato paste, and minced garlic. Stir for 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt.
- Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ramen noodles for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Drain and divide between serving bowls.
- Ladle harissa broth over noodles. Arrange roasted vegetables over the top. Scatter crispy chickpeas across the bowl. Add fresh mint and any optional toppings. Serve immediately.