Homemade Harissa Paste with Dried Chiles
If you’re looking for an easy way to add big, bold flavor to anything you eat, say hello to fresh homemade harissa! One of the world’s most delicious condiments, harissa paste is a deeply flavorful blend of chiles, spices and olive oil.
Equipment
Ingredients
Makes about 1 cup
- 2 dried guajillo chiles
- 1 dried ancho chile
- 5-6 dried chiles de arbol
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt or to taste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil plus additional if needed
Instructions
- Break the chiles open. Remove the stems and shake out most of the seeds and discard. Put the chiles in a bowl along with the sun-dried tomatoes and cover with boiling water. Let it all soak until soft and pliable, up to 30 minutes depending on how dry they are.
- Put the chiles in a small food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Process to form a relatively smooth paste, adding more olive oil if the paste seems too thick to blend. Taste and season with additional salt, vinegar or lemon juice if you like.
- Transfer the harissa to a tightly covered container such as a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator up to one month.
Notes
- To store: Harissa paste keeps refrigerated 1-2 months. Drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over the surface and cover securely.
- When the harissa is chilled it will thicken in texture. You can blend in a tablespoon or so of hot water to achieve a saucy consistency.
- Note: If you're sensitive to chiles or don't work with them often, you might want to wear gloves when handling them for this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 41kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSodium: 222mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g
