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Saturday 28 July 2012

Moroccan Chickpea & Roasted Carrot Salad


Here I present you with another lunch-box salad, this time of Moroccan inspiration. The key to this salad is the use of spices and chopped herbs, which turn a few simple ingredients - chickpeas, tomatoes, carrots and cous cous - into something that will make you say "wow!" after the first forkful. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

INGREDIENTS (for one person)

  • Half a tin of chickpeas (already cooked)
  • Two large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • 30 gr of cous cous
  • One teaspoon of white wine vinegar
  • One teaspoon of dried thyme
  • One tablespoon of chopped coriander
  • Five leaves of mint, finely chopped
  • One teaspoon of cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • One teaspoon of coriander seeds, toasted and ground
  • Half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
Turn on the oven at 180°C. Parboil the carrot chunks in water for about five minutes, then put them in a roasting tray, drizzle them with olive oil and the white wine vinegar and season them with thyme, salt and pepper.  Roast them for about 20 minutes, or until nicely caramelised on the outside. Leave them too cool. 

Put the cous cous in a medium bowl, together with a pinch of salt. Pour boiling water all over it, just enough to cover it; then wrap the top of the bowl with cling film, so that the steam doesn't escape. Leave the cous-cous to absorb the water and after about six minutes, uncover it and fluff it up with a fork.

Drain the chickpeas and put them in a bowl together with the cherry tomatoes cut in half, the cooled carrots and the cous-cous. Dress your salad with the chopped herbs and the spices, plus extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to your taste. In addition to making for a tasty and healthy lunch, it can be served as a side dish for grilled lamb, chicken or fish.  

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