Recipe: chickpea, cavolo nero and harissa stew
Tinned tomatoes are warmed by harissa paste and become the base for a versatile stew

Tinned tomatoes are great for making a rich sauce, whether as the main attraction or as a support act for other ingredients, said Samuel Goldsmith. Here, they're the perfect base for loading with veg and spicy harissa. Don't feel bound by these vegetables: I often swap the new potatoes for sweet potatoes, cavolo nero for spinach or cabbage, and the courgette for a red pepper.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
- 1 courgette, chopped
- 350g baby potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1-2 tbsp rose harissa paste
- 1 × 400g tin chickpeas, drained
- 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes, plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 150g cavolo nero, tough stalks removed and leaves chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- parmesan cheese or vegetarian or vegan Italian hard cheese, grated (shredded)
- plain couscous or thick slices of crusty bread (optional)
Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 8-10 minutes or until beginning to brown.
- Tip in the garlic and cook for 1 minute before stirring in the courgette and cooking for around 5 minutes or until starting to soften.
- Tumble in the potatoes, stir through the harissa and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the potatoes are beginning to colour.
- Scatter in the chickpeas and pour in the tinned tomatoes and stock. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir everything together, pop on the lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Check the liquid levels: the sauce should have thickened a little, but you still want plenty of juices. So, if it's getting slightly dry, pour in a splash of hot water.
- Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the cavolo nero and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Serve with a scattering of parmesan. This dish goes well with some couscous or slices of crusty bread, if you prefer.
Taken from The Tinned Tomatoes Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith, published by Murdoch Books at £18.99. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £14.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
Sign up for The Week's Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Cocktail of the summer: the Hugo spritz
The Week Recommends The refreshing elderflower-based tipple is giving Aperol a run for its money
-
How the Erin Patterson mushroom trial caught the world's attention
In the Spotlight Australian woman who laced beef wellington with deadly mushrooms found guilty of murder
-
The failed bombings of 21/7
The Explainer The unsuccessful attacks 'unnerved' London and led to a tragic mistake
-
Jeff in Venice: a 'triumph of tackiness'?
In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
The Anatomy of Painting: Jenny Saville's 'stunning' retrospective
The Week Recommends Saville's new collection features 'masterpieces' from throughout her career
-
M3GAN 2.0: riotous action sequel to the comedy-horror hit about a killer doll
The Week Recommends A 'ridiculously' entertaining 'hyper-camp mash-up' of Terminator 2 and Mission: Impossible
-
Shami Chakrabarti picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The politician and human rights activist shares the polemics that inspired her
-
Properties of the week: bright and cheerful houses
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Cornwall, London and Norfolk
-
5 dreamy books to dive into this July
The Week Recommends A 'politically charged' collection of essays, historical fiction goes sci-fi and more
-
6 sleek homes for modernists
Feature Featuring a concrete-and-steel home in South Carolina and a renovated 19th-century former carriage house in Pennsylvania
-
The Genius Myth: a 'fresh and unpretentious' book from Helen Lewis
The Week Recommends This 'angry, witty book' by Helen Lewis is a valuable critique of the 'flattering fiction' of genius