Couscous, pumpkin and chickpea salad

This salad is super popular in cafes all over Hobart. Try making your own version and see how you like it.

A super cheap salad option and delicious too

This receipe is great if you’re already roasting some vegetables for dinner. Make the most of using your oven, and roast the pumpkin for this salad at the same time.

What you need (tools and utensils):

·       A mixing spoon

·       A large mixing bowl

·       A chopping knife and board to chop on

·       A vegetable peeler

·       An oven tray for roasting

·       A container to store the extras in for up to 2 days

Ingredients:

·       750g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces

·       1 medium red onion, halved, cut into wedges

·       1 tablespoon olive oil

·       *Optional 2 teaspoons Moroccan seasoning

·       1 cup couscous

·       1 Massel chicken style stock cube

·       1 cup boiling water

·       2 x 125g cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed

·       1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

·       ½ cup baby spinach

·       Parsley or another herb such as coriander to taste

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin and onion in a bowl. Add oil and seasoning. Toss to coat. Arrange mixture, in a single layer, on prepared tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is golden and tender.

2) Meanwhile, place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Add crumbled stock cube and boiling water. Stir to combine. Stand, covered, for 5 minutes or until liquid has absorbed. Stir with a fork to separate grains. Add pumpkin mixture, chickpeas, pine nuts, baby spinach and coriander or parsley. Toss gently to combine. Serve.

Thank you to www.taste.com.au for providing this recipe