Harissa Chickpea-Feta Pepper Boats

Ingredients

Pepper boats

• 3 medium red bell peppers, about 600 g total
• 1 tsp olive oil, for the peppers
• ½ cup (85 g) dry couscous
• ½ cup (120 mL) boiling water, or package-required amount
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, about 240 g drained weight
• 60 g baby spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp water, for wilting spinach
• 1 tbsp (15 g) harissa paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• ½ cup (80 g) crumbled feta

Cool finish

• ½ cup (115 g) plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Equipment

Air fryer, heatproof bowl, kettle, spoon, small saucepan

Allergens and ingredient notes: Wheat, milk. Harissa heat varies.

Step by step

1. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems and remove seeds and membranes. Rub the cut edges and skins with 1 tsp oil. Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (180°C) according to its manual. Place 3 halves cut-side up in the basket, with gaps, and air-fry 5–7 minutes to begin softening.
2. While they cook, pour boiling water over couscous using its package ratio if different from the listed amount. Cover for the package time, usually 5–10 minutes, then fluff. Put chickpeas, spinach, and 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until spinach wilts; drain excess liquid.
3. Mix couscous, chickpeas, wilted spinach, harissa, the filling lemon juice, and salt. Divide into 6 equal portions. Spoon 3 portions into the softened pepper halves and top with half the feta.
4. Air-fry the filled halves at 360°F (180°C) for 10–13 minutes, until peppers are tender, feta has golden edges, and the filling is steaming throughout. Transfer carefully to plates. Repeat the pre-softening and filling steps for the other 3 halves, remaining filling, and feta.
5. Mix yogurt with its separate lemon juice and 1 tbsp water. Serve 2 boats per person with one third of the yogurt sauce and parsley. Refrigerate yogurt while the peppers cook.

The Devotti twist: Pre-softening the pepper gives the couscous filling time to heat without scorching the feta; cool lemon yogurt balances the harissa.

Air-fryer setup and batch notes

Use pepper halves with reasonably flat bases and leave airflow gaps. The recipe uses 3 halves per batch. If they tip, use a small approved air-fryer-safe metal baking pan rather than loose improvised supports.

Appliances vary: use the listed time as a starting range, check early, leave space for airflow, and follow your model’s manual for preheating and compatible cookware. Use the stated doneness cues and internal temperatures rather than time alone.

Make ahead and storage

Refrigerate cooked boats and yogurt separately within 2 hours for up to 3 days. Reheat the boats until the filling reaches 165°F (74°C), then add cold yogurt and parsley.