Harissa Potato Salad

Name: Harissa Potato Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 3 1/2 (heaping) Cups Japanese Sweet Potatoes (about 2 small, cubed); 2 (heaping) Cups Red Skin Potatoes (2 small, cubed); 2 (heaping) Cups Broccoli (chopped, include stems); 2 (heaping) Cups Baby Round Eggplant; 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder; 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder; For The Sauce:; 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley (chopped); 1/4 Cup Carrot Top Greens (chopped); 1/4 Cup Mina Mild Harissa*; 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika; 1/4 Tsp Cumin; 1/4 Tsp Coriander

January 18, 2016 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 187 Comments

Two types of potatoes, broccoli, and eggplant roasted to perfection and paired with a smoky and spicy harissa sauce. A harissa potato salad, gluten-free, vegan, and paleo, that will elevate you bland dinner side dish to an all new level!

January’s Theme – A New Ingredient For The New Year: Pick a new ingredient that you’ve been wanting to try… and cook or bake up a new recipe in the new year. Are you curious about nutritional yeast, fish sauce, matcha, teff – or maybe even ugli fruit? Show us how you’re cooking with something new (to you!) in 2016. (Recipe ReDux)

Call me condiment girl! From my undieing love for ketchup, infatuation with bbq sauce, and must-have mustard stock, I love them all! They make food fun, enough said! Any easy way to flavor up food, not only am I condiment girl, but also the spice queen, it’s my life’s mission to try to to create with them all. Since this month’s Recipe ReDux theme was all about cooking with new interesting ingredients, I thought it was fitting to bring my first recipe using harissa to the blog!

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Harissa is giving ketchup a run for its money! This classic Moroccan/North African oil based chili paste is like the grown-up spicy version of American ketchup…kind of. Harissa is a blend of chili peppers, red peppers, olive oil, garlic, and spices like cumin, coriander, etc. It’s the consistency of a sauce, not as thick as something like a curry paste or even ketchup. Harissa doesn’t have to be super spicy either. In this Harissa Potato Salad, I’m using Mina’s Mild Harissa. They also make a great authentic “regular” spicy harissa that delivers all the heat and spice, but mild is good for me! The mild is perfect and just the right amount of spice; not overwhelming at all! (They also make a killer Green Harissa!)

I love Middle Eastern cuisine and harissa is one of the reasons why. Ever since my first use, I haven’t been able to get enough and I know you’ll feel the same way if you haven’t tried it already! Of course, like any condiment, you can make you own, but I’m in love with Mina’s quality and flavor (and ease!). I now always have a jar in the fridge and it’s perfect for flavoring up just about any dish. From grains, pastas, potatoes, meat, and fish, just use it on everything imaginable!

My favorite? Using harissa in the potato salad! This isn’t just your run of the mill potato salad (obviously!). You know I never make my potato salads “classic”. You also know that potatoes are my favorite food. So anytime a fantastic ingredient like harissa is around, I’ve just got to test it out on some potatoes! In this potato salad you’re getting two type of potatoes. My favorite Japanese Sweet Potatoes and simple red skinned potatoes. But the fun doesn’t stop there either! Not only do you get two amazing potatoes int he mix, but also roasted eggplant and good old broccoli!

What I really loved about this mix was the balance of all the flavors and textures on the palette. The Japanese sweet potatoes are sweet, so they work perfectly with the spicy (but mild) harissa. The smoky roasted eggplant is played up with the smoked paprika I toss in the dressing too. Each bite of roasted veggies and flavor-packed harissa dressing is eye-closing “take a moment” worthy.

Okay, okay, any potato recipe does that for me, but this one is spot on! With all the hidden veggies too (there’s also loads of parsley and carrot greens in there), you are getting one hefty dose of nutrition in this perfect weeknight dinner side dish. It would also make a fabulous potluck or dinner party dish. Wow you guests and friends with one of the fanciest awe-inducing potato salads yet!

The last thing I love about this harissa potato salad is it’s so easy to throw together. All you have to do is chop the potatoes and veggies, roast them in the oven, and while that’s working, making the harissa sauce. Toss it all together and WOW! Now, this harissa potato salad is a warm potato salad. You of course could eat it cold, but warm, right out of the oven, waiting on your dinner plate…that’s the golden bite!

Harissa Potato Salad