Cucumber salad with green harissa might be our new favorite thing in the whole wide world.
We also would like to take this opportunity to thank the many supermarkets of Berlin Neukölln, none of which have dried chilies in store. This led us to the next super exciting, time-sparing revelation:
You can make an amazing hot sauce using pickled pepperoni from a jar.
But let’s start from the beginning:
People often ask us where we find the inspiration for new recipes. The answer is simple: everywhere. Sometimes we see ingredients while strolling through a market or supermarket that just spark some joy and creativity. Sometimes we see other creators using a technique or cuisine that inspires us. Or we find inspiration when visiting restaurants.
Specifically, the idea for the green Harissa came from Sorrel – a Neukölln brunch oasis. Uri always asks for extra hot sauce/ chili wherever he goes, and they offered an amazing homemade green harissa. It was love at first sight.
We were intrigued by the idea of green harissa and wanted to make our own. So we came up with a dish that lets the green harissa shine. All you have to do is to prepare the harissa, cut the cucumbers into cute little fans and assemble.
Youll need the following ingredients to make the cucumber salad:
- 2 green bell peppers, halved and deseeded
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- 1 300g Jar pickled green pepperoni, drained
- a handful of fresh coriander (optional)
- 1 Lemon, zest and juice
- 100 g neutral oil
- 2 large cucumbers
- Salt
Here’s how to make the green harissa:
Preheat the oven to 230℃.
Brush the bell peppers and garlic with a little oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the garlic on an oven tin layered with baking paper. Place the Peppers on top of the garlic, like a dome.
Roast the peppers for about 20 minutes until they are dark brown. Transfer them into a bowl, cover with cling film and set aside.
Toast all the seeds in a dry pan for about 1 minute, then crush with a mortar and pestle.
Press out the flesh of the garlic and add it into a food processor. Add the pepperoni, about 1 tsp of the spice mix, and lemon zest, and blend. Once the bell peppers have cooled down slightly, peel off the skin, add them to the food processor, and blend well. Depending on your processor, you may add the oil now and blend until smooth and creamy, or realize this whole thing would be much easier using a stick blender. In this case, transfer into a tall container and stream in the oil while blending.
How to cut the cucumbers:
We saw this specific way of cutting cucumbers in a Chinese restaurant here in Berlin and always wanted to try it. Cut the cucumbers lengthwise in half. Cut into 4 cm segments, then slice each segment very finely, leaving one end barely attached. Press down the segments lightly so they would fan out. Season them with salt and lemon juice.
Cucumber Salad With Green Harissa
Ingredients
- 2 green bell peppers halved and deseeded
- 4 garlic cloves unpeeled
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- 1 300 g Jar pickled green pepperoni drained
- handful of fresh coriander optional
- 1 Lemon zest and juice
- 100 g neutral oil
- 2 large cucumbers
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 230℃.
- Brush the bell peppers and garlic with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the garlic on an oven tin layered with baking paper. Place the Peppers on top of the garlic, like a dome. This will catch steam and help the garlic cook much faster without burning (at the same time as the pepper will).
- Roast for about 20 minutes until the peppers are dark brown, transfer them into a bowl, cover with cling film, and set aside.
- Toast all the seeds in a dry pan for about 1 minute, then crush using a mortar and pestle.
- Press out the flesh of the garlic and add it into a food processor. Add the pepperoni, about 1 tsp of the spice mix, and lemon zest, and blend. Once the bell peppers have cooled down slightly, peel off the skin, add them to the food processor, and blend well. Depending on your food processor, you may add the oil now and blend until smooth and creamy, or realize this whole thing would be much easier using a stick blender. In this case, transfer into a tall container and stream in the oil while blending.
- Cut the cucumbers lengthwise in half. Cut into 4 cm segments, then slice each piece very finely, leaving one end barely attached. Press down the segments lightly so they would fan out. Season them with salt and lemon juice. If you're not in a hurry or very hangry, allow your cucumber to marinate for 10+ minutes before adding about 3 tbsp of your "harissa" mix well, and sprinkle with some coriander leaves.
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