Roast vegetable salad with couscous, nuts and seeds

baked vegetables.jpg

This warm nourishing and scrumptious salad of vibrant colours, serves as a powerful hit of antioxidants when needed most and is filled to the brim with phytonutrients. Additionally, phytonutrients may enhance immunity, allowing the bodys natural defence system to work more efficiently.

While there are many ingredients in this list, you'll be sitting down and enjoying your meal in around 40 minutes. 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • ½ pumpkin, washed, skin on, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 2 carrots, washed, skin on, cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 1 parsnip, washed, skin on, cut in 2cm cubes
  • 1 sweet potato, washed, skin on, cut in 2cm cubes
  • 1 red capsicum, washed, deseeded and cut into bite size pieces
  • 2 cloves Russian garlic, skin on
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon, dried mixed herbs
  • 1 cup couscous, cooked to packet instructions
  • 1 tablespoon currants
  • ½ cup raw cashews, roasted
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds, roasted

Green Ingredients:

  • 1 broccoli head, washed and cut into florets
  • 100 grams fresh beans, top, tailed and halved
  • ½ cup frozen peas

Salad Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches of leafy greens (rocket, spinach, lettuce), chopped roughly
  • ½ bunch parsley, washed and chopped roughly
  • 1/4 bunch coriander, washed and chopped roughly
  • 4 sprigs of dill, washed and chopped roughly

Dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Method:

1.       Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius and line two baking trays with baking paper.

2.       Lay the pumpkin, carrot and sweet potato on one of the trays and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ tablespoon of herbs and season with salt.

3.       Lay the parsnip, garlic and capsicum on the other baking tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, the remainder of the herbs and season with salt.

4.       Bake both trays in oven for around 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and golden.

5.       In last 8 minutes of cooking vegetables blanch broccoli, peas and beans in boiling water for 1& 1/2 minutes then remove from water and keep warm.

6.       Once baked vegetables are cooked take out of oven and remove garlic. Once slightly cooled squeeze the garlic into a small ramekin dish, set aside.

7.       Prepare the dressing by mixing through garlic and lemon zest with maple syrup and vinegar. Give a good whisk with a fork, set aside.

8.       Then place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

9.       In a large bowl toss in baked vegetables and couscous and toss them through gently, then add the blanched vegetables, currants, nuts and seeds.

10.   Plate the dish by placing a scoop of the salad on the plate with scoop of the couscous salad. Drizzle with the balsamic dressing.

11.   This dish is a great eaten as is or accompanied by some form of protein.

Enjoy!

Nutritional analysis per serve

  • Energy:             357 Cals/ 1494kJ
  • Protein:                                   14g
  • Fat:                                          18g
  • Saturated fat:                           2g
  • Carbohydrate:                        34g
  • Sugars:                                    17g
  • Fibre:                                       11g
  • Sodium:                                71mg
Theresa Gray