A tasty and hearty vegan salad will also be brilliant on a buffet or as a side dish with grilled meat or chicken. Best served warm or at room temperature so if you’re making ahead take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
200g Israeli pearl couscous
400g cubed butternut squash or sweet potato or a mix of the two
1 medium red onion diced
1 x 400g tin chickpeas drained
1–2 tbsp harissa, according to taste
1-2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 dessertspoon cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for dressing
Juice of ½ lemon
1 small bunch coriander chopped.
Method:
- Heat your oven to 200°C and line two baking trays with baking parchment.
- Combine the butternut and/or sweet potato with the onion, smoked paprika, cumin salt pepper and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl.
- Tip the mixture onto one of the baking tins and spread out before placing in the oven to roast.
- Next tip the drained chickpeas into the same bowl and combine with as much harissa as you personally like. A tablespoon is a good starting point.
- Tip the spiced chickpeas onto the other lined tin and roast along with the vegetables until vegetables are nicely charred and soft (30-40 mins approx) and the chickpeas are crisp (20–30 mins approx.). Check and stir them from time to time.
- While the vegetables are cooking bring a large pan of water to the boil, salt it and then cook the Israeli couscous according to the pack instructions. Drain in a sieve and rinse well to stop it sticking. Return the couscous to the large bowl you used to coat the vegetables (it saves on the washing up) and then add the hot vegetables and chickpeas.
- Add a good glug of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and the chopped coriander.
- Give it all a thorough mix and then check the seasoning; it may need a squeeze more lemon or salt.
- Pile it into a serving dish.
