The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Super-fast harissa chickpeas with couscous
You've heard of a mini-break – this 20-min marvel whisks you straight to the spice markets of North Africa! Fiery harissa, garlic, ginger and preserved lemon work their magic on sizzled carrot, onion, broccoli and chickpeas, and fluffy wholewheat couscous 'souks' up those big flavours.
Plants 7
SWK: Source of protein
SWK: High fibre
quick cook
Serving size
Ingredients
- 125g wholewheat couscous (Wheat) (100% Whole WHEAT semolina)
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 90g Tenderstem broccoli
- 4 tsp ginger & garlic paste (Ginger, Garlic, Sea Salt, Citric Acid)
- 2 tbsp harissa paste (Red Chilli, Garlic, Tomato Puree, Sea Salt, Coriander, Acetic Acid, Paprika, Cumin, Caraway, Mint)
- 20g preserved lemons (Sulphites) (Lemons (61%), Salt (10%). Packed in Water (29%))
- 230g chickpeas (Chickpeas, water, salt)
- 1 vegetable stock cube (use half) (Celery) (Sea salt, potato starch*, sustainable palm oil*, sugar*, vegetables*(6,8%) [celery*, onion*, carrot*, parsnip*, tomato*], sunflower oil*, yeast extract, caramelised sugar*, herbs* & spices* ( lovage*, turmeric*, parsley*, black pepper*) *Organic ingredients)
- 110g baby tomatoes
- 1 handful of fresh coriander
- 1 handful of fresh mint
Nutritional Information
Calories: 464
Protein: 21g
Carbs: 59g
Fat: 5.7g
Ingredients
- 2 carrot
- 2 onion
- 180g Tenderstem broccoli
- 4 tbsp harissa paste (Red Chilli, Garlic, Tomato Puree, Sea Salt, Coriander, Acetic Acid, Paprika, Cumin, Caraway, Mint)
- 40g preserved lemons (Sulphites) (Lemons (61%), Salt (10%). Packed in Water (29%))
- 460g chickpeas (Chickpeas, water, salt)
- 1 vegetable stock cube (Celery) (Sea salt, potato starch*, sustainable palm oil*, sugar*, vegetables*(6,8%) [celery*, onion*, carrot*, parsnip*, tomato*], sunflower oil*, yeast extract, caramelised sugar*, herbs* & spices* ( lovage*, turmeric*, parsley*, black pepper*) *Organic ingredients)
- 200g baby tomatoes
- 8 tsp ginger & garlic paste (Ginger, Garlic, Sea Salt, Citric Acid)
- 250g wholewheat couscous (Wheat) (100% Whole WHEAT semolina)
- 1 handful of fresh coriander
- 2 handful of fresh mint
Nutritional Information
Calories: 462
Protein: 21g
Carbs: 58g
Fat: 5.6g
Super-fast harissa chickpeas with couscous
You've heard of a mini-break – this 20-min marvel whisks you straight to the spice markets of North Africa! Fiery harissa, garlic, ginger and preserved lemon work their magic on sizzled carrot, onion, broccoli and chickpeas, and fluffy wholewheat couscous 'souks' up those big flavours.
Cook time:
20 mins
Cuisine:
North African
Food group:
Vegan
Allergens: Wheat, Sulphites, Celery
Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- 1x large non-stick frying pan
- 1x mixing bowl
Slice & soften the veg
- Halve the carrots lengthways and slice into ½cm-thick half-moons. Peel the onions and cut each into 8 wedges. Trim the broccoli and cut into thirds.
- Spritz a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and put it over a medium heat. Fry the carrots, onions and broccoli for 5-7 mins.
Things get saucy!
- Add the ginger & garlic paste, harissa and preserved lemon and cook for 1 min.
- Tip in the chickpeas with their water, crumble in half the stock cube (use all the stock for 4 portions) and pour in 200ml water. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 4-6 mins, until the veg is just cooked and the stock has reduced to a glossy sauce.
Sort the couscous
- Meanwhile, put the couscous in a bowl and lightly season to taste with salt. Pour in enough boiled water to just cover the couscous, stir well, cover and leave for 5 mins, until the water is absorbed.
Herb & serve
- Finely chop the coriander and mint leaves.
- Stir most of the herbs into the harissa veg, serve on a bed of the couscous and scatter over the remaining herbs.