Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini

A simple and fluffy yeasted pitta bread dough smothered with harissa paste and topped with sticky red onions, fresh tomatoes, greens and chickpeas all drizzled with a tahini sauce. These pizzas are naturally vegan and easy to make – plus they are very impressive.

I have been having an obsession with yeasted bread dough over the last couple of months, in large part thanks to Lucy from Lucy and Lentils. If you don’t already know Lucy’s work, then I highly recommend checking out her website (here is the original Pitta Bread recipe) and Instagram – be prepared to be inspired. And to become very hungry! Her plant-based recipes are a dream and I have been a huge fan of her yeasted bakes… hence why I have made these pitta breads multiple times!

Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini

Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini

The base of these Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini is Lucy’s pitta bread recipe which I have stretched and shaped into oblong-shaped pizzas. The dough is mixed in one bowl, kneaded for 5 minutes before being left to rise for 1 – 1 ½ hours until risen and blooming.

Divide the dough in two to make two induvial pizzas before smothering with tomato puree and harissa paste. Use your favourite harissa paste blend and they all differ in heat, so adjust the amounts accordingly. The recipe below is for a mild one.

The toppings for this Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini are simple, wholesome and delicious:

• Sticky balsamic glazed red onions: simply fry off sliced red onions in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pomegranate molasses or maple syrup. The molasses is even sticker than syrup and has a deeper, richer flavour which works wonders here.
• Chickpeas: add these to the same pan as the onions once they’re done to absorb any leftover flavour and allow to crisp up.
• Fresh tomatoes: for a pop of colour and juiciness.
• Rocket: I love the peppery-ness of rocket, but you can use other green leaves, too. I like to add these on before serving so they are super fresh and crisp.

The tahini dressing is the icing on the cake of these pizzas: simply stir together tahini, lemon juice and water. It’s simple but very effective: slightly, tangy, rich and creamy and very addictive!

Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini

These Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini are easy to make, highly delicious and impressive for friends and family. They are best eaten fresh the same day as the dough is at its best, but you can keep it for a second day, too, and it is better to add the fresh tomatoes and rocket just before serving.

If you are looking for more tasty dinner recipes, how about my Carrot and Cumin Lentil Burgers, Baba Ganoush Chickpea Flour Falafel Wraps, Pesto Tomato Homemade Gnocchi or Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese.

Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini

• Servings: 2
• Time: 30 minutes plus 1-hour proving
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A simple and fluffy yeasted pitta bread dough smothered with harissa paste and topped with sticky red onions, fresh tomatoes, greens and chickpeas all drizzled with a tahini sauce. These pizzas are naturally vegan and easy to make - plus they are very impressive.

Ingredients

• Pitta Bread Pizza Base:
• 190g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• 3.5g instant yeast (1/2 packet)
• 140ml lukewarm water
• ¾ tbsp olive oil
• Pizza Toppings:
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tbsp harissa paste
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses or maple syrup
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained
• 1 handful rocket
• 10 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• Tahini dressing:
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp water
• Salt and pepper
• To serve: pomegranate, seeds

Directions

1. Make the bread dough according to Lucy’s instructions: stir together the dry ingredients in a bowl and pour in the lukewarm water and olive oil, bring together to form a loose dough (I used a spoon). Move onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding more flour to prevent it from sticking. Pop back in a clean bowl with a glug of oil at the bottom to stop it sticking. Cover with a tea towel and leave to proof for around 1 hour (I left mine for 1 ½ hours). Once risen, knock back the dough.
2. Preheat the oven to 200Fan/220*C. Divide the dough into two pieces. Place one piece of the dough onto a lightly greased piece of parchment paper in a small tray. Spread out with your fingers to shape into a pizza shape or oblong (about 20cm length) and about 2cm thickness. Repeat this for the second pizza.
3. Spread the tomato passata and the harissa paste over the two pieces of dough and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and crisp around the edges and cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan and add the red onion. Fry for 5 minutes until softening before adding in the balsamic and molasses (or syrup) with some salt and pepper. Fry for another 5 minutes until soft and sticky. Remove the onion from the pan and add in the chickpeas with a splash more oil. Fry for 5-10 minutes over a high heat until sticky and starting to crisp.
5. Make the tahini dressing by stirring together the tahini, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper until creamy and smooth. Add more water as needed for a pourable sauce.
6. Top the cooked pizza with the rocket, sticky onions, chickpeas, tomatoes, some pomegranate and seeds and drizzle over the tahini.

Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini

I hope you will love these Harissa Chickpea Pitta Bread Pizzas with Tahini and please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below and tag me in your creations, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With harissa pitta pizza love x