Chickpea-Chicken Salad With Green Harissa Dressing

By Nargisse Benkabbou

Published Jan. 10, 2024

Chickpea-Chicken Salad With Green Harissa Dressing — James Ransom for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.

Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 5(659)
Notes: Read community notes

In the bustling streets of Morocco, you’ll often find vendors selling tayb o’hari, a traditional Moroccan street food of warm chickpeas served in paper cones and topped with fragrant cumin, sweet paprika and chile powder. This recipe is like a salad version of the beloved dish, with pre-cooked chicken added for heartiness, fresh tomatoes and olives for crunch, and a spicy green harissa dressing for brightness. Serve either warm or at room temperature with good bread.

Learn: How to Make Salad

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

For the Green Harissa Dressing

4 to 5green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano
¼cup Greek yogurt
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
5tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
2tablespoons lemon juice
½teaspoon honey
½teaspoon fine sea salt
¼teaspoon black pepper

For the Chickpeas

2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1(14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1teaspoon ground cumin
1teaspoon sweet paprika
½teaspoon fine sea salt
¼teaspoon chile powder, such as ground cayenne (optional)

For the Salad

2cups arugula or rocket
½cup roughly torn fresh cilantro leaves, and more for garnish
2heaping cups boneless cooked chicken (such as rotisserie, grilled or poached), roughly chopped or torn and seasoned lightly with salt
½cup cherry-tomato halves, seasoned lightly with salt
½cup pitted Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the dressing: If you have a gas range, turn burner to medium high. Use tongs to hold a green chile carefully about 1 to 2 inches over the open flame for about 60 seconds on each side until the skin is charred. Repeat the same process for each green chile. Alternatively, you can also roast the chiles in the oven under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until their skin is charred.
Step 2
Let the chiles rest until they’re cool enough to handle, then use your hands or a butter knife to roughly remove the skins and seeds from the chiles, discard, then chop the flesh very finely with a knife.
Step 3
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chopped chiles, Greek yogurt, cumin, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, honey, salt and black pepper. If the consistency of the dressing seems too thick, don’t hesitate to add in a tablespoon or two of water to loosen it. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if necessary.
Step 4
Make the chickpeas: Heat the olive oil in a medium (10-inch) skillet over low. Add the chickpeas, cumin, paprika, salt and chile powder, if using. Cover with a lid and let cook until the chickpeas are warm and soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep on the side, covered, until ready to serve.
Step 5
Assemble the salad: In a large shallow bowl, arrange the arugula and cilantro. Scatter the chicken and the chickpeas on top of the leaves. Top with the tomatoes and olives. Garnish with more cilantro. Serve with the dressing on top or on the side.

Ratings

5 out of 5

659 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Steve Conway5 months ago

Really enjoyed. Dressing is delicious. Added feta since it’s always beta with feta.

Tgm5 months ago

I believe there is no need to add harissa paste. The ingredients in the dressing create a harissa flavored sauce, if I'm not mistaken.

kim odell5 months ago

Harissa : The main ingredients are roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers, spices and herbs such as garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin and olive oil to carry the oil-soluble flavors. 4 to 5green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano 1½ teaspoons ground cumin 1teaspoon sweet paprika ¼teaspoon chile powder, such as ground cayenne (optional)

Carol5 months ago

I'd suggest using extra firm tofu. You can put it in a marinade with some nutritional yeast if you like. Add that do the salad.

Elizabeth5 months ago

This doesn't need harissa paste. Harissa is a type of sauce and here the recipe uses green peppers to make the sauce, rather than the red you typically find in a pre-made/store bought one. If you follow the recipe as written, you'll end up with a lovely green spicy harissa.

Leah5 days ago

Delicious! Used one pepper (without seeds) and dressing was too spicy for our taste. I just added some additional yogurt to taste. Added feta, as others have recommended. Next time I’m curious about adding cucumber…but maybe not because it is already great!

tips6 days ago

Use 2 Serrano chilis Add feta ? Cucumbers

tips6 days ago

Use 1-2 green Serrano or poblano peppers Feta, cucumber, mixed greens Chicken swarma recipe

tips6 days ago

Use 1-2 Serrano Add feta Add cucumber Mixed greens with arugula

Bethia2 weeks ago

This was excellent, especially the flavours of the dressing, but the chickpeas did nothing for me. I’ll make it again with more salad and no chickpeas for a slightly lighter option.

CodeD2 weeks ago

Great recipe, and easy to add substitute ingredients as well! We brought home leftover Tzatziki sauce from our fave Greek restaurant in our 'hood so mixed that in, instead of making the dressing as outlined here, however, I did add in some cumin and paprika on top + chili flakes as I stirred/folded all together, instead of using cayenne. I used canned chickpeas and didn't heat over stove (too hot here in Toronto!) but overall pleased with the result. Thank you!

AnjuR3 weeks ago

This will go into my rotation, it was delicious. I used less of the olive oil when I doubled it, used 5 tbl total in the dressing. I did make a small mistake by doubling the dressing because my jalapeños were enormous, at the end it would have been better with extra heat. The huge jalapeños don’t seem to have enough heat especially after seeding.

Barbara Thurber3 weeks ago

This recipe is a serious winner! This is the kind of meal where your mouth is filled with thrilling after tastes that linger for a long time, reminding you how wonderful the meal was. I only used 3 jalapenos, instead of 5, and it was delicious. I added feta, from the advice of one of the other commenters - very good choice. This is a very satisfying light dinner.

saintsavory3 weeks ago

Insanely good.

mdmarta4 weeks ago

This was amazing!

notes4 weeks ago

Used 4 jalepenos but was too spicy

Nicole4 weeks ago

Way too spicy with 4 jalapeño peppers. I had to add at least 3 additional tbsp of Greek yogurt and some water, and even then it was a bit much for me. Otherwise delicious - just use less peppers unless you have a serious taste for spice!

Alicia1 month ago

Wow this salad is incredible. For the chicken, I was stuck with using legs but Aly Slagel’s recipe for baked chicken legs went with this recipe perfectly (brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, cumin, bake at 325/1 hour). I also added feta like others mentioned. So good!

Jon1 month ago

Whether you call the sauce harissa or not, it is absolutely delicious.

David Y.1 month ago

Does it change much if one uses jarred, authentic Morocon harissa? (The peppers in mine are more like cayenne than serrano, green guindiallas, or jalapeño.)

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