The Best Ever Green Harissa Recipe

We live in a wonderful world of spices herbs and seasonings, including green harissa; a North African condiment made of jalapeño peppers and spices. This is one of my favorite sauces. Harissa, pronounced “ha-riss-ah”, is a Moroccan condiment that is actually from Tunisia and is basically a version of Sriracha with another layer of flavor created from herbs and spices.

 There is a difference between “hot” and “spicy” food.

You will always find a selection of hot sauces in my refrigerator. Each one has a different level of heat.  Some are very pleasant and give that little kick, while others will give you tunnel vision and tears will run down your cheeks. Currently, I have a hot sauce in my refrigerator called “xxxextra chili habanero”, my recommendation is for you to stay away from this one. Hot will burn and spicy will have a mellow pleasant heat that adds tons of flavor. Spicy food has a perfect mild kick to it, so you can still enjoy all the flavors and ingredients in the dish.

Make your own harissa and play with flavors and heat.

If you’re a fan of mellow heat and great flavor, you need to try the green harissa recipe. Once you’ve tasted it, you will be a fan. Whenever you want a little heat in your life, you will reach for the jar of harissa. There are plenty of high-end store-purchased harissas out there, however, making your own is extremely easy to do. Green Harrisa is a serious condiment that I like to use as a sandwich spread, add to roasted vegetables, use as a rub for meats and fish, or spoon over scrambled eggs, rice and pasta to enhance flavor.

Explore and see what kind of pepper you like

The heat can be varied according to the type of chili pepper used in the making of harissa. This recipe is using three de-seeded jalapeños and one jalapeño with seeds, creating a milder version. If you want a hotter version, use only jalapeños peppers with the seeds, I promise you will know the difference. If you want it even hotter, use serrano chilies. They are about twice as hot as jalapeño peppers. Experiment with peppers using different kinds, like a Serrano or try a Thai pepper, they are small in size but big in heat.

Moroccan cooking:

is all about spices and flavor. That can be said about every cuisine, but at the end of the day, it has more to do with what you do with the spices than anything else. It’s amazing what spices can do if used right.  A pinch of this, a pinch of that and you’ll discover it’s really all about a few ingredients that can make the difference in a great meal. Green harissa is a mixture of healthy ingredients like jalapeños, garlic, olive oil, and spices.  Hot peppers are proven to have many health benefits. They contain a compound called capsaicin, which is thought to provide pain-relief and cancer-protective effects.

The Best Ever Green Harissa Recipe

Chef Norbert

If you're a fan of mellow heat and great flavor, you need to try the green harissa recipe. With the green harissa, I created a Feta sandwich spread that adds a great flavor profile. You can add it to any sandwich or use it as a dip.  Enjoy!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Moroccan

Servings 16 servings

Calories 61 kcal

Recommended Equipment

1 Vitamix blender

1 Chef's Knife

1 Spatula High Heat

1 Cutting Board

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

0.5x1x2x3x

• 3 each jalapeños
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 each garlic peeled
• 1/2 each lemon luice and zest
• 2 each spring onions
• 1/4 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/4 tsp coriander, ground
• 1 pinch sea salt, fine ground

Instructions

 

Prepare the ingredients

• Clean parsley, cilantro, and wash under running water to remove any dirt. Rinse jalapeño peppers, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. I keep 1 jalapeño with the seeds to give the harissa a little more kick. Trim and clean green onions.

Make the Harissa

• Place olive oil, jalapeños, cilantro, sea salt, cumin powder, garlic, green onions, juice, and zest of lemon in a food processor and blitz into a smooth thick paste or finely chop everything by hand and mix together.
  3 each jalapeños, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 each garlic, 1/2 each lemon, 2 each spring onions, 1/4 tsp cumin, ground, 1/4 tsp coriander, ground, 1 pinch sea salt, fine ground
• If possible, let stand for approximately 12 hours before using, to allow the flavors to develop. Transfer to a sealable container and top with a thin layer of olive oil. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Chef Notes

Chefs Tips:

Ingredients for green Harissa Spread

• 4 ounces Feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons green Harissa
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

 

• Make Harissa Spread: In a food processor combine the feta, olive oil, and green harissa. Pulse the mixture. Add the Greek yogurt and pulse just to blend until smooth. Add more harissa, if you like.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbsp | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate

Keyword Condiment, Harrisa,

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