Hope your week has been a good one. We’ve been beavering away at our bedroom renovation project and even though we are only about one third in, it’s finally starting to get more satisfying. I am also on meal prep duty (while Duncan hammers in rusty Victorian nails deeper into our floorboards ahead of sanding – playing to our strengths) and these harissa tofu bowls have kept us nicely fed for almost a week.
If I am honest, they are a bit of a rehash of an old recipe of mine, but it’s a good recipe so I thought it’s worth reminding you about it. These harissa tofu bowls are really quite quick an easy to make. I tend to marinate the tofu the night before. I use an already pressed tofu to minimise faff, but if you only have a standard water-logged tofu at your disposal, two nights ahead and marinate a night ahead. You could also drain your tofu and pop it into the freezer for the night (in a container of course), then allow it to defrost naturally, cut into shapes (I like triangles) and marinate.
While you can skip adding the cauliflower, I always like to increase the amount of vegetables in my meals and roasted cauliflower is absolutely to die for. All it needs from you is chopping into florets, coating in oil and a bit of seasoning. It its happily on the same tray as the tofu so there is no extra trays to wash up.
While the tofu and the cauliflower are roasting, I quickly make a herby base of lemony couscous and a quick tahini-harissa sauce to tie it all together. Couscous is fantastic when you are in a pinch as it does not require any cooking. All you need is some boiling water. While couscous is resting, I chop up my herbs and salad onions and whisk in a quick sauce in a bowl.
By the time tofu is done, these harissa tofu bowls are ready to serve. They have plenty of flavour and are packed with protein (tofu and chickpeas) and if you want to use quinoa rather than couscous, your bowl will end up with even more protein which keeps you satiated and less prone to snacking. We’ve really enjoyed it and I hope you will too.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
HARISSA: Harissa paste is a fantastic condiment to use in your cooking. Originated in Tunisia, this brilliantly red chilli and spice paste is popular throughout several North African countries that border on the Mediterranean Sea. It is meant to be spicy but its potency varies depending on brand. I find that the original Tunisian brands that come in a tube very spicy. I use Belazu smoked chilli harissa, which is my favourite. It’s spicy but not too spicy so it makes for a flavourful marinade.
TOFU: For these harissa tofu bowls, use firm or extra firm tofu that requires pressing or doesn’t… – I used tofu by Tofoo, which comes pressed already! If using pressed tofu, all you need to do is to cut it up and plonk into the marinade. If using an unpressed tofu, press it well first to extract all of the excess water or freeze overnight, unfreeze, cut and marinate (tofu does not need pressing once defrosted, but freezing does change its texture, it becomes much more spongey)
LEMON: I love the brightness a good squeeze of lemon brings to my dishes and in these harissa tofu bowls I used lemons in three ways. I added some juice to the marinade, I stirred some zest and lemon juice through the couscous and finally added just a dash of lemon to the tahini sauce. It may sound like a lot of lemon, but it really works, I assure you.
MAPLE SYRUP: I add a dash of maple syrup to the harissa marinade to counter the lemon and to get some beautiful caramelisation going.
COUSCOUS: Couscous is a great ingredients to ‘cook’ when you need to get things done quickly. All you need is some boiling water and a bowl with a lid. If you want to make this dish without gluten, use quinoa instead of couscous. I explain how to cook it to perfection in the notes, under the recipe.
HERBS: A dish like this, inspired by the flavours of North Africa, needs plenty of ‘herbage’. Fresh coriander (known as cilantro in the US), parsley and mint all work really well. I tend to use a couple of them together for more variety.
SPRING ONIONS: Spring onions (scallions) chopped very finely offer a delicious savouriness and a subtle onion flavour to the couscous.
CHICKPEAS: A tin of cooked chickpeas is a perfect way to add more protein, another plant and more satiety to this dish. There is so much going on here already that you don’t need to spend any time prepping these little gems, simply drain and stir through the couscous (or qunioa).
CAULIFLOWER: You can skip cauliflower if you wish, but don’t. It’s too good once seasoned and roasted to perfection and it compliments spicy harissa tofu really well too.
FLAKED ALMONDS: Texture is so important when it comes to food and since these harissa tofu bowls cried out for a bit of crunch, I topped them with nutty almond flakes. You can sub them for chopped hazelnuts, pistachios or sunflower and pumpkin seeds but toast them first, roasting nuts and seeds is a total game changer.
TAHINI: Tahini – a creamy sesame paste – makes for a rich and nutty sauce that ties dishes like this one together and takes no time or skill to prepare.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) MARINATE THE TOFU
Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow baking dish. Cut pressed (I use an already pressed tofu brand) tofu into 1.25 cm / 0.5″ thick slices and then triangles and allow it to marinate for as long as you can, minimum 30 minutes
2) BAKE TOFU AND CAULIFLOWER
Once the tofu has finished marinating, prepare your cauliflower for roasting by dividing it into same size florets, coating them in oil and seasoning (I use some smoked paprika, salt and nutritional yeast) and spread it on a lined baking tray next to tofu. Save the remaining marinade for brushing on the tofu later. Bake until the cauliflower is cooked through and nicely charred in places and tofu is firm and caramelised in places. Brush the rest of the marinade onto the tofu 5 minutes before it finishes baking and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
3) PREPARE COUSCOUS
While the tofu and cauliflower are baking, make the couscous. ‘Cook’ it by pouring boiling water over it and letting it stand covered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile chop spring onions and herbs finely and once couscous ready stir them through the couscous together with a zest of one lemon, lemon juice and olive oil.
4) MAKE THE SAUCE & TOAST THE ALMONDS
Set the almond flakes on a dry frying pan while you prepare the sauce. Initially, leave the pan to do its thing but after a while start tossing the almonds in the pan frequently so that become golden all over rather than burnt in places. Make the sauce by whisking some water into the tahini. Season with a dash of lemon juice to taste, grated garlic, salt and pepper and a bit of harissa paste to taste
5) SERVE
Divide the couscous between bowls, top with baked tofu and cauliflower, drizzle with tahini sauce and garnish with toasted almonds and chopped herbs! Enjoy!
- 280 g / 10 oz pressed tofu (I used Tofoo)
- 1 tbsp / 15 ml olive oil
- 2 tbsp harissa paste, divided
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 20 ml / 1½ tbsp maple syrup
COUSCOUS
- 1 cauliflower
- 45 ml / 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 135 g / 1½ cup couscous (quinoa* if GF)
- 3 spring onions/scallions, finely sliced
- 400 g / 14 oz can of chickpeas, optional
- large handful of mint and parsley (or coriander)
- 1 lemon, zest and juice (start with 1½ tbsp)
- flaked almonds
SAUCE
- 90 g / 6 tbsp tahini
- approx. 2 tbsp lemon juice, adjust to taste
- 1-2 tsp harissa paste (I used smoky harissa from Belazu), adjust to taste
- Cut tofu into 1.25 cm / 0.5″ thick slices and then each slice into four triangles.
- Combine 2 tbsp harissa paste with 15 ml / 1 tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¾ tsp fine salt, 30 ml / 2 tbsp lemon juice and 20 ml / 1½ tbsp maple syrup in a shallow baking dish. Coat tofu in it and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- When tofu has finished marinating, set the oven to 200° C / 390° F and boil a kettle of water.
- Cut cauliflower into florets, coat in olive oil and season with salt and dust with smoked paprika.
- Arrange marinated tofu on a lined baking tray next to the cauliflower and bake for about 30 minutes, flipping everything at half way point. Keep leftover marinade to brush on the tofu at the end.
- Place couscous in a bowl with 1 tsp salt. Cover with 450 ml (2 cups minus 2 tbsp) of boiling water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Set aside for 10 minutes to cook.
- While the couscous is ‘cooking’, chop spring onions and herbs really finely and zest a lemon. Toast flaked almond until golden on a dry frying pan, tossing frequently. Make the sauce by combining 2 tbsp tahini with 4 tbsp water, season with grated garlic, lemon juice to taste, salt and pepper and harissa to taste.
- Once your couscous has had a chance to rest, fluff it up with a fork and transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir lemon zest, spring onions, chopped herbs, olive oil and lemon juice through. Add drained chickpeas, if using, for more protein and bulk. Season to taste.
- Divide between 4 bowls, drizzle with tahini sauce and garnish with more herbs and toasted flaked almonds.
*COUSCOUS: If you want to make this dish gluten-free, replace couscous with quinoa. I like to cook it on the stove using absorption method. Rinse it well and cover by 1¼ volume of water to the volume of quinoa so 1 cup of quinoa needs 1¼ water. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on a really low heat until all of the water has been absorbed – use a pot with a glass lid so that you can check without taking the lid off. Once all the water has been absorbed, switch the heat off but keep the lid on for another 10 minutes for the quinoa to finish off cooking in the steam.