Cous Cous Salad Recipe.

Cous Cous Salad Recipe.

This is a delicious vegan variation of a recipe that my Mum was made while she was staying in hospital a few months ago. She made it for me when I last went down to visit her, and since then I have been tweaking it until it tasted exactly how I wanted it. Here is the final version of the recipe.

Ingredients:

250gr pearl cous cous
1 x small butternut pumpkin
1 x large zucchini
small tub of sundried tomatoes sitting in olive oil (Coles deli tubs are the best!)
handful of almonds
handful of pepitas (plus any seeds saved from butternut pumpkin)
juice from one lemon
smoked paprika
balsamic dressing
sea salt
pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.
2. Dice pumpkin (save seeds) and zucchini into small chunks and place on a baking tray lined with greased baking paper (I find olive oil spray works well). Roast in the oven for 20 minutes with salt and pepper seasoning.
3. After 20 minutes, toss roasting veggies and sprinkle with the seeds and almonds. Continue roasting for another 20 minutes.
4. Immediately after adding the seeds and almonds, start cooking your pearl cous cous according to packet instructions. Drain and leave in a large bowl to cool slightly.
5. Remove sun dried tomatoes from the tub, keeping the tub and the oil for your salad dressing in a moment. Cut the sundried tomatoes up into smaller pieces for better distribution throughout the salad.
6. To make the dressing, add the following to your tub of olive oil: juice of one lemon, sprinkle of smoked paprika, 1-2 tbsp balsamic dressing. Whisk well with a fork.
7. Once vegetables are roasted, add to the cous cous along with the sundried tomatoes and stir through well. Next add the dressing and stir through until well combined.
8. Serve on it's own or as a side dish. Perfect hot or cold.