Moroccan couscous salad

This recipe involves a quite a few different steps but it's well worth the effort. This cous cous works salad works as a meal on it's own or as a side dish to braised or roasted meats.

• serves

  6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

200 g instant couscous

250 ml (1 cup) water

pinch of salt

100 g (½ cup) chickpeas, soaked and cooked

200 g pumpkin, diced 5mm and roasted

½ red capsicum, diced into 5mm chunks

90 g (⅔ cup) toasted pine nuts

½ cup chopped coriander leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Dressing

150 g natural yoghurt

2 tsp chopped fresh mint

2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add couscous; stir to coat with oil. Add water and salt and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to soak for 5 minutes.

Use a fork to break up the grains, then tip the couscous into a bowl and allow to cool. Mix couscous with remaining ingredients. Season to taste.

To make the dressing whisk yoghurt, fresh mint and lemon juice together.

Drizzle yoghurt dressing over the cous cous salad and serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.