Harissa-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Red Onion

Harissa-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Red Onion
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(711)
Notes
Read community notes

This simple salad is powered by two naturally sweet vegetables –  sweet potato and red onion – but harissa, the popular north African spice paste, balances everything out. Harissa adds more than just a subtle heat to a dish; it injects smokiness, tang, richness and overall intrigue. When shopping, look for harissa that has a deep, brick-red color, a thick consistency and dried red chiles listed as one of the first ingredients. Cutting the sweet potatoes into wedges creates sharp edges so that they get crispy and golden in the oven. This dish is easily adaptable, and simple to make into a complete meal by adding roasted chickpeas, cooked lentils or grilled radicchio. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3medium sweet potatoes, washed and trimmed, (about 1½ pounds)
  • 3medium red onions, peeled and trimmed (about 1 pound)
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2tablespoons harissa paste, plus more for serving
  • 1teaspoon ground cumin
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ½lemon
  • 3ounces feta, crumbled (optional)
  • Handful of cilantro or mint leaves
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

273 calories; 12 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 776 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise, then in half again (you should have 4 segments), then slice each segment into 3 or 4 wedges, so they are about ½ inch thick. Place them on a sheet pan.

  2. Step 2

    Cut the red onion in half and slice into ½-inch-thick pieces, similar in size to the sweet potato. Place on the sheet pan with the sweet potato.

  3. Step 3

    Drizzle with olive oil and add the harissa paste, cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few pinches of black pepper. Using a large spoon (or clean hands), toss everything together until the sweet potatoes and onions are well coated, arranging everything in a single layer.

  4. Step 4

    Place in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, carefully toss and return to the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender and crispy around the edges.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, squeeze over the juice from the lemon half. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper, if needed. Top with the feta, if using, a dollop of harissa and finish with a handful of cilantro or mint leaves.

Ratings

4 out of 5
711 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

I had a powdered Harissa so I made the paste by adding EVOO to about 3 tbsps of the powder. It came out great. Next time - and there will be a next time - I will mix everything in a large bowl and then transfer the well coated potatoes and onions onto the sheet pan.

Didn’t have harissa. So did what a good South Indian would do, ground fresh ginger, pearl onions, dry red chilies and a green chilly into a paste and used it. It came out great.

Scaled down for one sweet potato and half a red onion. Yum yum yum! Delicious. Will make again. Had mild harissa which was fine. Feta and cilantro were definitely a plus.

I made this as written and it was a great lunch on a bed of quinoa with lots of fresh mint.

I used this seasoning for cubed butternut squash and red onion to serve with roast chicken. Loved it even without the feta.

Easy and delish! Made as written some chickpeas thrown in on the same sheet pan, and served with lemony garlicky yogurt. Forgot to wedge the potatoes (just cut in quarters) so they weren't very crispy but still very delightful. Adding to the weeknight recipe rotation for sure!

Added 2 Italian sausage cut into segments.

This was my first time using harissa paste. The heat was too much for 2 of the 3 family members who tried this. The 3rd loved it!

The recipe does not say to peel. It says trim! Very different

I dont think so. the skin is full of lots of nutrients so you should eat if possible :)

This recipe is fabulous!

One beefy sweet potato resulted in about 8 thick slices so I had half as leftovers; perfect portions for a light dinner/lunch. I think next time I’ll roast some chickpeas and carrots for a more substantial dinner. I drizzled with plenty of lemon juice and some leftover tzatziki sauce (I think any garlicky yogurt sauce would be great), and finished with cilantro. The feta was a must for me! Helped cut through the heat of the harissa. Will definitely be adding to the regular rotation!

my fave

Split between two sheet pans. Even my spice averse parents found this tasty and interesting. I mixed the lemon juice with a spoonful or the harissa and poured over at the end. Yum!

Key to crisping the sweet potatoes may be to spread them out on 2 sheet pans. I cooked only half the potato/onion/harissa/oil mixture (I'll roast the rest another night), & it was still tough to fit them in a single layer. Depending on the heat of your harissa, you may want to dial the amount back a little — my partner found this a little too spicy, though I loved it. Another nice touch I recommend: a dollop of homemade zhoug on the side, instead of or in addition to the cilantro garnish.

Having trouble getting the potatoes to crisp up. My sheet pan has been in the oven for 40 minutes. It's the correct temp. It's just that the onions I think create a ton of steam. Anyway, the recipe smells good, but somehow the quantities given (or the approximation that I used, slightly greater) create a crisping problem. Oh well.

I waited until this was about five minutes from finished and tossed in some spinach. Then I made a few spaces in the veggies and cracked several eggs on the sheet pan. Carefully scoop them out top with the feta and lemon. Delicious!

Absolutely delicious! Add Spinach and voila, perfect meal or side

This was so delicious it’s going in my regular rotation. It’s a perfect balance between smoky/pungent, tangy, bright and a touch sweet. I think the proportions are spot on. However the sweet potatoes took more like 35-40 mins to crisp up in my oven. Beware!

I added halved Brussels sprouts on the sheet pan with the sweet potatoes. Both were nicely browned. Easy and delicious.

This was a big hit with the teenager. I served it with roasted salmon fillets that were also slathered in harissa (with some preserved lemon dotted on top). Great complement.

So good! Had on some wild rice I had to make it a main added pomegranate seeds and did the mint. Truly delicious and so easy.

Thank you, Hetty for delivering us realistic, weeknight meals that sparkle with flavor! Simple, quick and full of flavor. I didn't have any Harissa so I just added a teaspoon or two of Berber spice.

A perfect mod-winter supper. Made according to the recipe but instead of extra harissa for serving we put a bit of hummus on top. A keeper.

My WORD was this delicious. I forgot the lemon, but did everything else. It was like a restaurant dish, but easy peasy to make. This quantity was a main dish for three. It also feels easily tweakable and it would still be great.

I used what I had on hand- one large sweet potato and half a red onion. I didn’t have harissa so instead I used tomato pasta and red chili flakes. I also didn’t stick to measurements but I added EVOO, salt, pepper, and cumin as stated. I finished it with lemon juice, cilantro, and feta. It was a hit and I can’t wait to make this again.

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