Harissa Recipe

Stem and seed chilies

Using kitchen shears or a knife, trim stems off the dried chilies, split them open and shake out most of the seeds. Keep a few seeds if you want extra texture/heat.

Toast the dried chilies briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Remove from heat.

Place the toasted chilies in a heatproof bowl and pour 1 cup (240 ml) of just-boiled water over them to rehydrate. Cover and let soak 20–30 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid.

Toast the caraway (or fennel) seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and grind to a powder.

Drain the chilies, reserving 2–3 tablespoons of the soaking liquid (discard the rest or save for other uses).

In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the rehydrated chilies, roasted red bell peppers, garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground caraway, and kosher salt.

Pulse to form a coarse paste, then stream in 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice while blending until smooth. If the mixture is too thick or the blender struggles, add up to 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved chili soaking liquid (or water) a tablespoon at a time to reach a spreadable but still thick consistency.

Taste and adjust seasoning: add honey or sugar if you want to tame acidity, more lemon for brightness, or additional salt. If you want it smokier, add another 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.

Transfer the harissa to a clean jar. Smooth the top and pour the 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil over the surface to create a seal (this helps preserve it).

Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Harissa will keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks; for longer storage, freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

Use leftover soaking liquid to thin harissa later if it firms up in the fridge.