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Shawarma-Spiced Chickpea Couscous Bowls with Roasted Veggies, Pickled Onion & Harissa Yogurt Sauce

In this hearty vegetarian riff on shawarma, our chefs ditch the meat for chickpeas and carrots, roasted with the same earthy, fragrant spices. It’s all piled into bowls with apricot-studded couscous, roasted bell pepper, tangy pickled onion, and fresh cilantro. Harissa yogurt sauce adds cooling, creamy contrast and smoky, spicy notes.

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Spicy Veggie Mediterranean dinners
Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 servings 4 servings
  • 9 oz carrots
  • 1 chickpeas
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1 tbsp shawarma spice blend
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 lemon
  • 0.25 oz cilantro
  • 2 tbsp yogurt
  • 1.5 tbsp sour cream
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp harissa powder
  • 2.5 oz israeli couscous
  • 1 veggie stock concentrate
  • 1 oz dried apricots
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 5 tsp cooking oil
  • sugar
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 18 oz carrots
  • 2 chickpeas
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 2 tbsp shawarma spice blend
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 lemon
  • 0.25 oz cilantro
  • 4 tbsp yogurt
  • 3 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp harissa powder
  • 5 oz israeli couscous
  • 2 veggie stock concentrates
  • 2 oz dried apricots
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 5 tsp cooking oil
  • sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. • Adjust racks to middle and top positions
    and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash
    and dry produce.
    • Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal
    into ½-inch-thick pieces. Drain, rinse,
    and pat chickpeas very dry with paper
    towels. Halve, core, and thinly slice bell
    pepper into strips.
  2. • Toss carrots on a baking sheet with a
    large drizzle of oil, 1 tsp Shawarma
    Spice Blend (2 tsp for 4 servings), salt,
    and pepper.
    • Toss chickpeas on one side of a second
    sheet with a large drizzle of oil, 1 tsp
    Shawarma Spice Blend (2 tsp for 4), salt,
    and pepper. (Be sure to measure the
    Shawarma Spice Blend—we sent more.)
    • Toss bell pepper on empty side with a
    drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper.
  3. • Roast carrots on middle rack and
    chickpeas and bell pepper on top rack
    until veggies are browned and tender and
    chickpeas are crispy, 18-22 minutes. TIP:
    Check on your veggies and chickpeas
    after 18 minutes; if carrots finish first,
    remove from oven and set aside.
  4. • Meanwhile, halve, peel, and thinly slice
    half the onion (save the rest for another
    use). Quarter lemon. Finely chop cilantro.
    • In a small bowl, combine onion, juice
    from two lemon wedges, a pinch of
    sugar, and salt. Set aside to pickle.
    • In a separate small bowl, combine yogurt,
    sour cream, ¼ tsp garlic powder (½ tsp
    for 4 servings), a squeeze of lemon juice,
    and as much harissa powder as you like.
    (You’ll use the rest of the garlic powder
    in the next step.) Add water 1 tsp at a
    time until mixture reaches a drizzling
    consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. • Melt 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings)
    in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
    Add couscous and cook, stirring, until
    lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.
    • Add stock concentrate, ¾ cup water
    (1½ cups for 4), remaining garlic powder,
    and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil,
    then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook
    until couscous is tender, 6-8 minutes.
    Keep covered off heat.
  6. • Once veggies and chickpeas are done,
    stir apricots into couscous; season with
    salt and pepper.
    • Divide couscous between bowls; arrange
    chickpeas, bell pepper, and carrots on
    top in separate sections. Drizzle with
    yogurt sauce. Top with cilantro and
    as much pickled onion (draining first)
    as you like. Serve with any remaining
    lemon wedges on the side.