A homemade harissa with roasted red bell pepper and fresh chilies, blended with roasted garlic and tomato paste, without caraway.
Red, smooth and soft, this homemade harissa combines the sweetness of a blistered bell pepper with the heat of roasted fresh chilies. It is a spicy, concentrated condiment built on a fresh base of roasted vegetables rather than dried chilies. The recipe serves 4 people and contains 96 calories per serving. Find this recipe among my keto sauces and dips.
What is roasted red pepper harissa?
In this recipe, harissa is a smooth paste made from red bell pepper, chilies, roasted garlic, olive oil and spices. It is still a red, spicy, concentrated condiment, but with a fresh vegetable base rather than rehydrated dried chilies.
The roasted vegetables provide body, while the olive oil brings everything together and adds gloss. The tomato paste deepens the color and umami flavor. To prepare it, you will need an oven set to 200 °C, a baking dish or lined baking sheet, aluminum foil for the garlic, and a food processor or immersion blender.
The origins of this version
Classic Tunisian harissa is based on rehydrated dried chilies, garlic, caraway, coriander, cumin, olive oil and salt. This homemade version takes a different approach: it starts with a roasted red bell pepper and fresh chilies, along with a head of roasted garlic, tomato paste and lemon juice, without caraway.
The aim of roasting here is to soften the vegetables, not to give them a smoky flavor. Look for wrinkled or blistered skin and tender flesh without completely blackening the vegetables, as burnt flesh would make the paste bitter.
The main ingredients
The red bell pepper forms the sweet, fleshy base, while the 3 red chilies, sold as chili peppers or Spanish peppers, provide most of the heat. Their intensity varies greatly depending on the variety and batch: taste, then adjust with the tablespoon of chili flakes, which adds a second layer of heat. Bird’s eye chilies are not an equivalent substitute and will significantly change the result.
The head of garlic, roasted in a foil parcel, becomes meltingly soft and milder than raw garlic. Half a small can of tomato paste adds color, umami and body; make sure to use concentrated tomato paste, not tomato purée or passata. The juice of half a lemon balances the oil and vegetables, but is not enough to preserve the harissa.
As for spices, 2 teaspoons of ground coriander brighten the base with citrus notes, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds added whole before blending provides earthy warmth, and 1 teaspoon of toasted paprika deepens the red color; do not confuse it with smoked paprika. The 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil bind the mixture and add gloss. A roasted red onion or a hint of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom or fenugreek are optional; a very small touch is enough.
Technique and serving tips
In an oven set to 200 °C, remove the chilies after about 30 minutes; the bell pepper, garlic and optional onion cook for another 15 minutes. For a fine texture, peel the bell pepper and chilies and remove the membranes and seeds from the bell pepper, leaving the chilies whole here. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin once lukewarm, and add the juices released by the bell pepper gradually while blending; pouring them all in will make the paste too loose. Promptly refrigerate at 4 °C in a clean, airtight jar, using a clean utensil each time; the lemon and oil do not make it shelf-stable at room temperature, so freeze in small portions to keep it longer.
Serve the harissa with roasted vegetables, meat or fish, or stir it gradually into yogurt, hummus or a sauce. It adds a kick to a fish fillet, a chicken breast, lamb skewers, roasted eggplant or air fryer zucchini. It also adds flavor to the base of a fragrant soup.
You can find more dishes like this among my low-carb recipes.
Roasted Red Pepper Harissa
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 red chilies (chili or Spanish varieties)
- 1 head garlic
- 0.5 small can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds ground
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder toasted
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 0.5 lemon juiced
Optional
- 1 red onion
- 0.25 teaspoon spice of your choice cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, fenugreek
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Remove the outer skins from the head of garlic, but leave all the cloves attached and intact. Cut off the top ends of all the cloves. Drizzle a little oil over the cut surfaces. Sprinkle a little salt on top. Wrap the head of garlic in aluminum foil.1 head garlic, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Wash the bell pepper and chilies and place them in an ovenproof dish (optional: this prevents drips in the oven). Place the garlic alongside them. If desired, add the chopped onion too, drizzled with a little mild olive oil. Set the timer for 30 minutes.1 red bell pepper, 3 red chilies (chili or Spanish varieties), 1 red onion
- Now remove the chilies from the dish. Set them aside on a plate for a moment. The other vegetables need another 15 minutes.
- Leave all the vegetables to cool.
- Peel the bell pepper and chilies. Remove the membranes and seeds from the bell pepper (be careful: a lot of liquid will run out!).
- Unwrap the garlic and squeeze the head to release the soft flesh.
- Place the vegetables in the food processor with all the other ingredients and blend until smooth.0.5 small can tomato paste, 1 tablespoon chili flakes, 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon paprika powder, 0.5 lemon, 0.25 teaspoon spice of your choice
