
Moroccan Beetroot, Roasted Chickpea & Couscous Salad
The Moroccan spice in our Moroccan Medley couscous works beautifully in this easy and tasty salad. Beetroot and cumin is a wonderful combination and one that you must try if you haven’t already. Quick to make with ready-to-cooked beetroot – remember to choose one that hasn’t been packed in vinegar – but you can roast your own beetroot if you prefer. Great as a light lunch or as side dish to chicken or fish.
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200Cfan
Place the chickpeas in a single layer on a baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until golden and lightly crispy, giving them a shake halfway through. Remove from the oven.
Prepare the couscous according to the packet instructions and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile in a frying pan over a medium-high heat toast the cumin seeds for 1 minute until fragrant, shaking the pan to prevent them burning. Remove from the heat, tip into a pestle and mortar and coarsely grind.
Place the extra virgin olive oil, orange juice and zest, vinegar and cumin in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the parsley and mint and season to taste. Add a little more vinegar if you like a little more sharpness. Remove a quarter of the dressing and set aside for drizzling. Peel the beetroot and cut into wedges. Add to the dressing in the bowl along with the onion slices and toss to coat.
Spoon the couscous onto serving plates and arrange the beetroot on top. Scatter with chickpeas and crumbled feta. Drizzle with the reserved dressing and garnish with mint leaves.
Ingredients
- 4-5 cooked beetroot
- 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice and zest of ½ large orange
- 1-2 tsp cider vinegar (we like Willy’s Fire Apple Cider Vinegar for its kick of horseradish)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 x packet of Ainsley Moroccan Medley Couscous
- 50g feta, crumbled
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper