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Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with pickled onions
youryum.com/recipes/harissa-aubergine-with-chickpeas-with-pickled-onions · serves 4

A hot tray with a cold, sharp finish

Pickle the onions while the tray roasts; their vinegar and crunch keep the soft aubergine from feeling too rich.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten free
  • Dairy free
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 25 June 2026
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Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with pickled onions served in a roasting tin
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Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Serves
4
Per serving
446kcal
Effort
Easy

Aubergine and chickpeas are both generous but both are soft. Pickled onion gives the dinner a necessary interruption: cold, crunchy, sour and pink from the vinegar.

Make the onions first and they will be ready by the time the tray is done. This is not a separate side dish; it is the part that makes the main dish feel finished.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Tray

Quick onions

Equipment

  • Large roasting tin
  • Small bowl

Method

  1. Start the onions

    Put the sliced onion in a bowl with the vinegar, sugar and salt. Toss and leave it while you cook. Turn it once or twice so every slice gets time in the liquid.

    Use a broad metal tin rather than a deep casserole. The pieces need gaps around them so hot air can reach the cut sides and the released water can evaporate. If everything looks packed before it goes in, remove a handful and save it for another meal. A little space is worth more here than an extra few degrees on the oven.

  2. Season the aubergine

    Heat the oven to 220°C fan. Toss the aubergine with oil, harissa, cumin and salt, then spread it over a hot tin.

  3. Roast until soft

    Roast for 25 minutes, turn the pieces, and continue for 10 minutes more. You want dark edges and yielding flesh, not tidy cubes.

    Hands stirring harissa aubergine with chickpeas with pickled onions in a roasting tin

  4. Add the chickpeas

    Scatter in the chickpeas and roast for five minutes. They take on enough heat to crisp at the edges without losing their creamy centre.

    Look at the bottom of the tin before you decide it is ready. A thin sheen of oil and a few dark sticky patches are useful; a pool of clear water means the food needs more time or more space. Stir from underneath with a flat spatula so the browned paste comes up, but do not scrape hard enough to tear the soft aubergine. Those browned bits are seasoning.

  5. Drain and finish

    Drain the onions lightly, keeping a teaspoon of their vinegar to spoon over the tray. Add the onions at the table so they stay crunchy.

What's in it

Nutrition, buying and storage notes for the ingredients this recipe leans on.

Chickpeas 8.9 g protein
Aubergines chickpeas harissa and with pickled onions
The onions pickle in the time it takes the aubergine to roast.

The aubergine test

Quick pickles are not meant to become sauerkraut. Fifteen minutes is enough to take the raw bite out of the onion while keeping the crispness that the tray needs.

Where this tray can go wrong

The first failure is a crowded tin. Aubergine releases water as it cooks, and if the pieces touch, that water has nowhere to evaporate. You get pale, greasy chunks instead of browned corners. Use the biggest tin you own, or split the food between two tins and swap their shelves halfway through. The second failure is adding the chickpeas too early. They dry out before the aubergine is soft, then taste hard rather than creamy. For this with pickled onions version, the chickpeas should be exposed to the metal and should have a little oil on their surface, but they do not need a bath of sauce.

Do not judge the tray by its colour alone. Harissa darkens quickly, especially on a thin edge, while the middle can still be firm. Press the thickest aubergine piece with a spoon. It should give without springing back. If it resists, turn the pieces and give them another five minutes. A short rest after the oven matters too: the chickpea skins tighten and the sauce stops sliding around the tin.

Swaps that still work

  • Use butter beans for chickpeas when you want a softer, more spoonable tray; dry them well first.
  • Replace rose harissa with tomato paste, smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne if the jar is empty.
  • A red onion can replace some aubergine, but cut it into thick wedges so it does not disappear.
  • Serve over couscous, rice or toasted bread; choose the starch that can catch the juices.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 446 kcal
Protein 15 g
Carbohydrate 52 g
Fibre 16 g
Fat 20 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use another bean?
Yes. Butter beans work especially well, though they will stay softer than chickpeas. Drain and dry them before roasting.
Can I use courgettes instead of aubergines?
You can, but reduce the first roast to fifteen minutes. Courgettes contain more water and collapse sooner.
How should I reheat it?
Use a hot oven or covered frying pan rather than the microwave when you can. Finish with the fresh dressing, lemon or herbs after reheating.
Is this suitable for meal prep?
Yes. Keep any crisp topping, yogurt or herbs separate and add them just before eating.

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