Harissa-roasted vegetable and chickpea traybake with lemon-yoghurt drizzle
Smoky harissa-roasted aubergine, courgette and chickpeas with a lemony yoghurt drizzle — crowd-pleasing, easy to transport and serves 8.
This traybake is the easiest kind of show-off: minimal fuss, maximum flavour and it travels like a dream — exactly what you want for a potluck. Smoky harissa lifts humble veg and tinned chickpeas into proper party food, while the lemon-yoghurt cools and freshens every mouthful.
Make it ahead, reheat gently or serve at room temperature. It’s reliably vegetarian, feeds a crowd and looks impossibly colourful on a buffet table.
Ingredients
- 1 aubergine — about 400 g, cut into 2 cm chunks
- 2 courgette — about 300 g, halved lengthways and sliced 1 cm thick
- 2 red pepper — approx 300 g, deseeded and sliced
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms — halved if large
- 1 brown onion — large, cut into wedges
- 3 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed
- 2 tinned chickpeas — 400 g tins, drained (reserve liquid if you want to thin dressings)
- 45 ml harissa paste — adjust to heat preference
- 60 ml olive oil
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 10 ml sea salt — divided
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 1 lemon — zest and juice
- 200 g Greek-style natural yoghurt
- 15 g fresh coriander — finely chopped
- 15 g flatleaf parsley — finely chopped
- 100 g rocket — to serve under the roasted veg
- pomegranate seeds — optional, to garnish
- chilli flakes — optional, to taste
Equipment
- 2 large baking trays
- large mixing bowl
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan/240°C conventional. Line two large baking trays with baking paper or lightly oil them.
Prepare the vegetables: cut the aubergine into 2 cm chunks, slice the courgettes, deseed and slice the red peppers, halve large chestnut mushrooms, and cut the brown onion into wedges. Crush or finely slice the garlic.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the harissa paste, olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, 1 tsp sea salt, black pepper, the lemon zest and half the lemon juice. Add the prepared vegetables and the drained tinned chickpeas and toss thoroughly so everything is evenly coated.
Spread the mixture out in a single layer across the two prepared baking trays (crowding will steam the veg). Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the trays, use a spatula to turn the vegetables and chickpeas so they brown on the other side, then return to the oven and roast a further 15 minutes until edges are charred and chickpeas are slightly crisp.
While the veg roast, make the lemon-yoghurt drizzle by combining the Greek-style natural yoghurt, the remaining lemon juice, chopped fresh coriander, chopped flatleaf parsley, a pinch of sea salt and a grind of black pepper. Taste and adjust lemon and salt.
To assemble: scatter the rocket over a large serving platter or leave on the trays. Pile the roasted vegetables and chickpeas on top, drizzle with the lemon-yoghurt, scatter pomegranate seeds if using and a pinch of chilli flakes, then finish with a little extra chopped fresh coriander.
Leftovers: cool completely, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C fan/200°C conventional oven for 10–12 minutes or serve cold on salads.
Tips
- Cut veg to a consistent size so everything cooks at the same rate — 2 cm chunks for aubergine and similar thickness for courgette.
- Do not overcrowd the trays; give the veg room to roast. If it looks crowded, use a second tray or roast in two batches.
- If you want a vegan version, swap the Greek-style natural yoghurt for a thick dairy-free yoghurt (see substitutions).
- Make the yoghurt drizzle up to a day ahead and keep chilled; stir before serving and add a splash of reserved chickpea liquid if it’s too stiff.
- To transport, pack the roast in one container and the yoghurt in a separate pot; dress just before serving to keep colours bright.
Substitutions
tinned chickpeas → 480 g cooked dried chickpeas (drain and use the same weight)
Stays closeharissa paste → 2 tbsp tomato purée + 1 tsp smoked paprika + 1 tsp chilli flakes (increase to taste)
Noticeably differentGreek-style natural yoghurt → 200 g thick dairy-free yoghurt (soya or coconut-based) for a vegan dish
Stays closefresh coriander → extra flatleaf parsley if you dislike coriander
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 240
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 625 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this the day before a potluck?
Yes — roast and cool the veg, store in the fridge and make the yoghurt dressing separately. Rewarm gently in a 180°C fan/200°C conventional oven for 8–12 minutes or serve at room temperature.
How can I make this vegan?
Use a thick dairy-free yoghurt in place of the Greek-style natural yoghurt and check the harissa paste is free from milk derivatives.
Can I swap the vegetables?
Absolutely. Sweet potato, carrots or cauliflower work well but may need slightly longer roasting times; keep pieces similar in size for even cooking.
My traybake looks a bit oily — how can I reduce oil?
Reduce the olive oil by 10–20 ml and toss the vegetables well so the oil distributes; roasted veg still get plenty of flavour from the harissa and spices.
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