Great textures & flavours in this salad make it a really tasty treat. Serve as a side salad with a braai or buffet or as a main course. Wait for the compliments! Serves 8 – 10
Ingredients
- 375 ml vegetable stock
- 15 ml olive oil
- 5 ml chilli powder
- 375 ml couscous
- 500 g peeled pumpkin or butternut, chopped and roasted
- 250 ml pumpkin seeds, roasted
- 1 x 400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 red onion, finely chopped or 4 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 60 ml finely-chopped parsley
- 60 ml finely-chopped coriander leaves
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C/180ºC fan/Gas mark 6.
- Heat the stock in a saucepan or microwave on 100% power for 4 – 5 minutes until boiling. Stir in olive oil.
- Stir in the couscous and remove from stove or microwave. Cover and leave for 5 – 10 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
- Mix together the dressing ingredients. Toss the couscous with a fork to separate and fluff up the grains. Mix with half the dressing while still warm.
- Meanwhile, roast the pumpkin with a little oil and salt for 20 – 25 minutes at 200ºC/180ºC fan/Gas mark 6 until soft. Mix the pumpkin and the rest of the ingredients into the dressed couscous.
- Drizzle with the remaining dressing.
Tips:
• Roast butternut and pumpkin seeds together at 200°C/180ºC/Gas mark 6 for 20 – 25 minutes until butternut is tender and seeds are golden brown.
• To speed up the roasting process, steam butternut in a colander over boiling water for 20 minutes before roasting