Harissa Spiced Fall Veggie Pitas

The simplest healthy weeknight dinner for fall! Filled with spiced roasted sweet potatoes & zucchini, avocado, and a delicious harissa yogurt sauce.

harissa spiced fall veggie pitas

I make a lot of impromptu tacos. We not only have taco Tuesdays around here, but sometimes taco Wednesdays and/or taco Thursdays. When I’m looking for something quick I usually reach for tortillas, no matter what day of the week it might be. I keep them in the freezer, so they’re always ready.

Except this particular night – no tortillas, but I had some sprouted pitas. This wasn’t originally going to be a post, but these turned out so pretty and delicious. And who doesn’t need a quick dinner idea?

harissa spiced fall veggie pitas harissa spiced fall veggie pitas

I roasted chopped sweet potatoes and zucchini and tossed them with dried harissa spice. If you can’t find dried harissa (I have a jar of it from Whole Foods) you can use it in paste form. If that’s not convenient for you, see the notes at the bottom of the recipe for some other alternatives.

I mixed in diced avocado because I just love avocado… and a sprinkle of hemp seeds for protein. I also made a quick spiced yogurt sauce to bring it all together.

harissa spiced fall veggie pitas


5.0 from 10 reviews

Harissa Spiced Fall Veggie Pitas

 
Author:
Serves: about 4 pita halves (serves about 2)
Ingredients
  • 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into 1-inch cubes
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried harissa spice (see note below)
  • 2 pitas, sliced in half
  • 1 small avocado, diced
  • A few salad greens (ie, baby arugula)
  • Salt & pepper
  • Optional: a few pickled onions, sprinkle of hemp seeds, red chile flakes
yogurt sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried harissa spice
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • Squeeze of lemon
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
Optional - quick pickled onions: (this will make extra)
  • 1 small red onion
  • white wine vinegar (enough to fill a jar of onions)
  • a few pinches of cane sugar and salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss chopped sweet potato cubes and arrange on a baking sheet with parchment. Toss with a little olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast until golden brown (25-30 minutes).
  2. Meanwhile, chop your zucchini into about 1-inch pieces. Place on a towel to dry out a bit before you roast it. Halfway through the sweet potato roasting time, toss zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper and pop it into the oven. Roast the zucchini until golden brown and tender but not mushy (about 15 minutes).
  3. Meanwhile stir together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce. Set aside.
  4. Remove sweet potatoes & zucchini from the oven, and toss them together with some of the dried harissa spice.
  5. Warm pitas (in the oven, toaster, or microwave), then fill with the veggies, avocado, pickled onion, hemp seeds, and serve the yogurt sauce on the side.
Notes
I use dried jarred dry harissa spice from Whole Foods (in the spice section). If you don't have any, sub in a mix of chile powder, coriander, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt. (Or really, any spices you like - a curry blend would be delicious here too). You can also use jarred harissa paste instead of dry, just be sure to add it to taste since spice levels can vary.

Vegan option: skip the yogurt and just make a paste from the olive oil and harissa. Add it into your pita to taste (it can be spicy).

 

33 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. Nate from StoneFryingPans.com
    11.03.2014

    Excellent recipe and so easy to make! I’ve made these for my very picky coworkers and they absolutely loved it. Thanks for sharing!

  2. L
    10.25.2014

    These look great! I’m always looking for more easy sandwich ideas, and we have about half a jar of harissa paste left in the fridge now. I might add some roasted bell peppers and feta added to the mix too.

  3. Well then. I think I’ll have to get some harissa spice, pronto.

  4. Aarthi from Tapasyablog.wordpress.com
    10.24.2014

    I love Harissa! This is a wonderful way to flavor fall veggies..

  5. Matt O'Gara
    10.24.2014

    Ha! That’s lunch sorted.. 🙂

  6. Isadora from shelikesfood.com
    10.23.2014

    Haha, I am obsessed with tacos too and have a habit of turning pretty much any dinner into tacos! I love the roasted veggies and avocado in these! I’ve never had harissa before, but I’ve heard so much about it and need to try to find some soon!

  7. Oh this is such a great idea! Harissa is so easily available in London/UK. Will be perfect for working lunch next week! x

  8. I could do some variety of a taco just about every night myself. And harissa is one of my favorite flavors, so this is a perfect meal to me. Love the pickled onion and avocado additions especially.

  9. Ramon M. from inpursuitofflavor.com
    10.23.2014

    Your pictures make this look super summery and yummy. Cant wait to try this for lunch one day. My vegetarian roommate will be over joyed 😉

  10. With the cooler weather we are finally having on the farm I’m loving warming spices like harissa. This sounds fantastic.

  11. I have to try harissa. Now that is a good ‘have to’. Taco Mama you make a great pita bread too!

  12. Pitas and tortillas are always in my freezer too! I love the look of the these pitas, so yummy! Great pictures, they’re making me hungry! 😉

  13. Harissa makes everything better! I totally agree with Liz – so glad you decided to share this. I love these pitas for lunch or a simple dinner!

  14. Love these, so quick! And they look really filling too. I can see myself going for some double dipping action in that yoghurt. Thanks for sharing.

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.