Chickpea, Pumpkin and Couscous Salad

Are you looking for a fun, festive, tasty plant-based salad for the holidays this year? Well, look no further!

This Moroccan-inspired dish is great as a side or a filling main. It’s got a solid amount of protein in it too, and you can serve it hot or cold.

First, make your couscous –

1cup dry couscous
2 tbsp healthy oil ( I used flax seed)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp coriander
Pinch of salt and pepper
1.5 cups boiling water
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tbsp maple syrup or another liquid sweetener (optional)

Mix all that together and leave to absorb while you do the rest of the preparation.

Roasty pumpkin fun –

500g of pumpkin, cubed into 2cmish chunks
Drizzle of oil with a high smoke point (sunflower seed or canola work well)
Salt

Coat the pumpkin in oil and add a pinch of salt, and bake at 200°C until golden and cooked. I toss them after about 20 minutes and pop them under the grill for a bit near the end to add crunchy bits.

Now, the crunchy roasted chickpeas! These are also an excellent snack on their own. They don’t stay crunchy forever though, so you’ll want to have these ready last.

1.5 cups chickpeas (canned or cooked from dry)
Salt and pepper
Drizzle of oil

Dry chickpeas (this is important for maximum crunch), coat in oil and salt and pepper and roast or grill at 200°c until golden and crunchy.

Chuck everything together in the bowl with the couscous, add a big handful of nuts – I used cashews and almonds that were roughly chopped – and a big handful of cranberries. Finally, a few sprigs of torn up mint leaves and BOOM, YOU HAVE SALAD.

Have a little taste of the salad and add a bit more salt, pepper, lemon juice, and maple syrup if you need to. 🙂

I found almost all of the ingredients in the bulk section and fresh produce sections of our supermarket. The mint came from my garden where it grows like a weed.

I hope you all enjoy it! Remember to look for your ingredients in bulk bins, or in recyclable packaging, shop in season when you can, and eat your leftovers.

Have a magical and safe festive season!

See you somewhere!

xo cait