Harissa prawns with butter beans and baby spinach on toasted sourdough bread is a quick, high-protein dinner idea you’ve been waiting for.
REASONS TO LOVE THIS HARISSA PRAWNS WITH BEANS
Nutritious & Filling: Made from nutrient-rich whole foods, this dish offers a satisfying meal option that’s both hearty and nourishing.
Easy to Make: Surprisingly simple to prepare, this dish is perfect for those busy days. With a touch of organisation, you can rustle it up in no time, making it an ideal choice for a swift workday lunch or dinner.
Versatile: One of the standout features of this dish is its adaptability. Get inventive and make it your own! Swap the toast for whole-grain pasta, or try different grains like barley for a diverse twist.
No prawns in the fridge or freezer? No worries—shrimp or white fish are excellent alternatives. And if spinach isn’t to your taste, why not choose broccoli or another favourite green?
INGREDIENTS FOR HARISSA PRAWNS WITH BEANS
Olive oil (virgin or extra-virgin)
Shallot
Garlic
Sun-dried tomatoes
Butter beans (I’m using home-cooked beans, but canned beans will also work)
Baby spinach
King prawns (I’m using peeled, frozen prawns)
Sweet paprika
Harissa powder (North African spice blend based on chilli peppers)
Chilli Kashmiri
Beans cooking water (vegetable stock, fish stock or water)
HOW TO COOK BUTTER BEANS?
If you’re in a rush, canned beans can be a quick fix for making these harissa prawns on toast. However, I strongly recommend cooking beans at home for the best results.
Though it may seem like a hassle, I assure you, it’s not as daunting as it sounds. With a bit of planning ahead, you’ll be all set.
I’m using butter beans for this recipe, and the instructions I’m sharing with you are adapted to this variety. You can use any other variety of beans, but keep in mind that the cooking time may vary slightly.
1. Rinse the Beans
Start by transferring dried beans to a bowl and inspect them for any damage. Then, rinse the beans under running water to remove any debris before placing them back into the bowl.
2. Soak the Beans
Before cooking, beans benefit from soaking for several reasons:
- softens the skin, enabling faster cooking while retaining more nutrients
- reduces the likelihood of beans bursting while cooking
- makes protein and carbohydrates more digestible
- decreases levels of certain phytochemicals that can bind minerals in your body, such as phytic acid and tannins
To soak the beans:
- Submerge the beans in cold water with 1.5% salt content. Use at least twice the volume of water, as they will double in size while soaking.
- Cover them with a cloth and let them soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours but no more than 24 hours. The best timeframe appears to be 8-12 hours.
*If soaking for over 8 hours, transfer the beans to the fridge to prevent spoilage.
NOTE: The ratio of dried to cooked butter beans is 1:2. So, if you need 240 g of cooked butter beans for this recipe, you can put 120 g of dried beans to soak.
3. Cook the Beans
After soaking, discard the soaking water and cook the beans in fresh water.
To cook beans:
- Transfer the soaked beans to a pot and cover them with fresh, cold water. Salt the water lightly.
- If you wish, add vegetables (onion, carrot, celery) with spices (bay leaf, rosemary) for more flavour.
- Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Cook beans on a gentle simmer until tender but still retaining their shape, approximately 1 hour.
4. Store the beans
Once cooked, cool the beans completely and store them in an airtight container with the cooking liquid.
Store in the fridge: Use the beans for up to 3-4 days.
Store in the freezer: Freeze beans for up to 6 months. To defrost, keep them in the fridge overnight.
HOW TO MAKE HARISSA PRAWNS WITH BEANS
1. Marinate the king prawns
If using frozen prawns, the best way to defrost them is by placing them in the fridge overnight.
Once defrosted, drain the prawns and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Transfer them to a bowl and add sweet paprika, harissa, Kashmiri chilli, and salt. Grate some lemon zest on top using a microplane. Stir everything to combine and leave it aside.
2. Prepare the rest of the ingredients
Dice shallot. Cut the top of the shallot and slice it in half, going through the roots. Peel each half and cut it into dice.
Finely chop the garlic. Cut the bottom of the garlic clove and crush it with the flat side of the knife. Take the peel off and finely chop the garlic. If you wish to speed up the process, grate the garlic using a microplane.
Chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Drain sun-dried tomatoes on a piece of kitchen paper. Using a sharp knife, chop the sun-dried tomatoes finely.
Wash baby spinach. If you use prewashed bagged spinach, you can skip this step. Otherwise, if you use unpacked spinach, wash it thoroughly, changing the water 2-3 times.
Drain beans. Drain beans, reserving the beans’ cooking water. You will use it later on.
If using canned beans, drain them, but don’t keep the canning liquid. In that case, you can use fish stock, vegetable stock, or water instead.
*Don’t throw the leftover beans’ cooking water. Use it for making soups, stews or even risottos. It is nutritious, and it will help thicken other dishes.
3. Pan-fry king prawns
Heat a pan and add half of the olive oil the recipe calls for. Once hot, add the prawns and pan-fry on each side for a minute. Take the prawns out of the pan and keep in a bowl until serving.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients
While the pan is still hot, add the rest of the olive oil.
Next, add the finely diced shallots—sauté them over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Salt them lightly after about a minute of sautéing.
Once they turn translucent, add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and sauté them for another 2 minutes until the garlic turns translucent.
Turn the heat and deglaze the pan with the beans’ cooking water. Alternatively, you can use fish stock, vegetable stock, or water.
Deglazing involves adding hot liquid to the pan to release all the caramelised bits stuck to the bottom. This process ensures that all the flavour is incorporated into the dish, leaving nothing behind in the pan.
Next, toss in the baby spinach and cook it until wilted, which will take about 2 minutes.
Cover the pan with a lid to speed up the cooking process. The created steam will help the spinach wilt faster. Once the spinach is wilted, add the cooked beans and stir for another minute or two to reheat the beans.
5. Toast the bread
I’m using sourdough rye bread for this recipe, but feel free to choose your favourite type. Toast the bread by using a toaster or oven.
If using an oven, heat it to 180 °C. Place the bread slices in a preheated oven and bake for 5-10 minutes until crispy.
HOW TO SERVE HARISSA PRAWNS WITH BEANS
Place the beans and spinach on the toasted bread and arrange the pan-fried prawn. Squeeze lemon juice into the bowl that held the prawns to collect any leftover spices. As a finishing touch, pour this lemony sauce over the dish.
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