Miso-Harissa Delicata and Edamame Dill Rice

Fall is one of my favorite times to be in the kitchen. I love the produce this time of year, not least of all the lovely varieties of winter squash. Delicata squash, with its thin edible skin, is one of my personal favorites. Versatile, easy to prepare, and a long life off the vine and in the kitchen. I’ve even created a post on how to prepare delicata here.

Miso-Harissa Delicata is a dish created from and inspired by a number of different flavors we enjoy, combining two staples in our kitchen to create a richly spiced and almost decadently flavored centerpiece for any winter rice dish. Roasting the delicata until it’s slightly caramelized on the outside ensures a lovely contrast in textures.

Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili sauce, or paste, made from fiery chili peppers, spices, garlic, herbs and oil. It’s commonly used in North Africa and the South of France. We used DEA brand harissa paste in a tube (made in France), but there are a number of other Harissa brands available. If you are unable to find harissa at your local stores, you may want to consider whether it’s worth the effort to make your own. A fine substitution for harissa in this recipe is gochujang, but in the case of using gochujang you will likely need to add more chili flakes since it typically isn’t as spicy harissa.

Miso is standard in our kitchen and one of my favorite ingredients. It provides a sturdy foundation of salty and umami flavors for any dish and in this case marries quite well with the spices and heat of the harissa.

Combining harissa and miso together creates a savory, tangy, spicy, umami balance that really dresses your delicata up to play well off of herbal and green ingredients.

The herbed Edamame Dill Rice pairs nicely with the robust Miso-Harissa Delicata to form a wonderfully hearty, aromatic and full-flavored meal. As temperatures drop, this is exactly the type of food we love to eat!

I’ve created a post on how to prepare delicata here.

Miso-Harissa Delicata Edamame Dill Rice

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Harissa-Miso Delicata (about ½ cup): 1 (about 1¼ pounds) medium delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into ½-inch ‘moon’ slices 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons white miso (shiromiso) 1 tablespooon harissa (DEA) 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste ¼ teaspoon maple syrup
For the Dill-Edamame Rice: 3 cups water 2 cups extra-long basmati rice (known as sella) 2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1½ ounces fresh dill, tough stems removed and finely chopped (about 1 cup) 1 teaspoon garlic powder 6 ounces edamame, thawed if frozen 2 tablespoons vegan margarine or refined coconut oil (add more salt to taste)

Method

Make the Harissa-Miso Delicata:

Place a shallow roasting pan in the oven and turn the oven to 400°F, preheating the pan in the process. In a small bowl, whisk together miso, harissa, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the remaining olive oil while continuing to whisk. In a large bowl, toss the delicata squash with two thirds of the marinade you have just prepared. Save the remaining sauce for the end.

Once your oven is up to temperature and your squash is dressed, remove the pan from the oven and lightly coat with oil. Spread the marinated delicata slices out onto the pan and return the pan to the oven. Roast for 40 minutes or until the squash is tender and has a slightly charred look. After removing the pan from the oven, allow to cool for about 5 minutes before adding the remaining marinade.

Make the Dill-Edamame Rice:

Add water, rice, salt and oil in a large pot with a fitting lid over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil until liquid has evaporated, uncovered and stirring occassionaly, about 20-25 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in dill and garlic powder using a fork. Place edamame on the top of the rice, close the lid and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and spoon margarine on top. Cover tightly and allow the margarine to melt. Using a fork, stir in the melted margarine and fluff the rice. Taste and add more salt if needed.

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Have you ever worked with harissa and miso together? What is your favorite delicata squash recipe?