Email to MEAN CHEF      

Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad with Harissa-style Dressing

Source of Recipe

Dehlia Smith


List of Ingredients

For the roasted vegetables:
1 small eggplant
2 medium zucchini
1 lb cherry tomatoes, skinned
1 small red pepper, de-seeded and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm)
1 small fennel bulb, chopped
1 large onion, sliced and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm)
2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn so that they stay quite visible
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces pitted black olives, chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained
salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the couscous:
10 ounces medium couscous
18 fluid ounces vegetable stock
4 ounces firm goat cheese
salt & freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
3 ounces mixed salad greens or baby greens

For the dressing:
4 fluid ounces extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons tomato puree
4 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)

To garnish:
1 tablespoon black onion seeds



Recipe

First prepare the roasted vegetables: prepare the eggplant and zucchini ahead of time by cutting them into 1 inch (2.5 cm) dice, leaving the skins on. Then toss the dice in a level teaspoon of salt and pack them into a colander with a plate on top and a heavy weight on top of the plate. Leave them on one side for an hour so that some of the bitter juices drain out. After that, squeeze out any juices left, and dry the dice thoroughly in a clean cloth. Preheat the oven to gas mark 9, 475°F (240°C).
Now arrange the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, pepper, fennel and onion in the roasting pan or sheet pan, sprinkle with the crushed garlic, basil and olive oil, toss everything around in the oil to get a good coating and season with salt and pepper. Place the pan on the highest shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are toasted brown at the edges.
When the vegetables are done, remove them from the oven and stir in the chopped olives and the capers then remove them to a plate to cool.
When you're ready to assemble the salad, first place the couscous in a large, heatproof bowl, then pour the boiling stock over it, add some salt and pepper, stir it with a fork, then leave on one side for 5 minutes, by which time it will have absorbed all the stock and softened.
Meanwhile cut the cheese into sugar cube-sized pieces. Make up the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl, then pour into a serving container. To serve the salad, place the couscous in a large, wide salad bowl and gently fork in the cubes of cheese along with the roasted vegetables. Next arrange the salad leaves on top and, just before serving, drizzle a little of the dressing over the top followed by a sprinkling of onion seeds and pass the rest of the dressing around separately.