Cauliflower & Harissa Lentils

I'm sure you're not terribly surprised to see another harissa dish up on the blog this week, after our how-to that was shortly followed by our tagine dinner. However, I bet you weren't expecting to see it combined with cauliflower. What a weird little vegetable. I think of it as an albino broccoli, but without some of the great flavor you can achieve with a fresh head of its green counterpart. But what is enticing about cauliflower is that you can pretty much shape its flavor to be whatever you want, because it is so neutral! When I came across this recipe on Pinterest, I jumped on it since the harissa was only about two weeks old. I had been wanting to try a cauliflower recipe (just like Brussels sprouts, it had been on the "to try" list) and this one seemed like an appropriate first step. Despite one of my favorite blogs publishing a cauliflower-based cookbook, the timing with the harissa seemed appropriate, so I jumped on it. I decided I could be a big girl and make it myself for one of the nights Will was busy with class, to have ready when he got home...

The first thing I realized once I pulled the head of cauliflower out of the fridge was that I had no idea what to do with it. Cauliflower is so cute, looking like a little white bouquet with its attached greenery. But how to properly attack it? Not something I inherently knew. So I did what any cook who's still learning does: I turned to the internet and particularly, to Will's favorite cooking site, The Kitchn. You too, can learn to cut cauliflower here. Once I tackled that hurdle, I was set to go. Pulling this meal together took no time at all and was pretty straightforward. The original recipe site has their own harissa recipe, if you don't have any prior to making this recipe. I can't attest to it's spiciness factor, so let me know how it turns out if you try it! Ours wasn't too terribly hot - in fact, we even added a little extra harissa when we started eating it, which then made it a little too hot. But oh well, it was good and the recipe offered a bit of variety to our veggie meal repertoire!

Cooking Notes: I only used 1/2 tsp of our own harissa recipe, since it's incredibly hot. I also used 1 tsp tomato paste to thicken everything up, in addition to doing 1 1/4 cups water to 1 tsp Better than Bouillon chicken broth. I used a whole head of cauliflower, which was on the smaller side. I upped the lentils from 1/2 to 3/4 cup and used an entire white onion, as opposed to the 1/2 red onion, based on what I had on hand.

Cauliflower & Harissa Lentils (adapted from Naturally Ella; serves 4)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion
1 small head cauliflower
3/4 cup red lentils
1/2 tsp harissa
1 tsp tomato paste
1 cup stewed tomatoes
1-2 cups veggie or chicken broth

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low. Add onion and saute until translucent about 6-7 minutes. Add the cauliflower and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes. Stir in the lentils, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 tsp harissa and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are tender. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Recipe: Naturally Ella: Harissa Lentils and Cauliflower