Roasted Vegetable Couscous Bowl with Whipped Feta
Ras el hanout-roasted vegetables and crispy chickpeas over fluffy couscous, with a swoosh of whipped feta, honey-lemon dressing, fresh mint and pistachios.
Method
Preheat the oven to 220 °C for . Meanwhile, cut the carrots into 1 cm diagonal slices, the squash and courgette into 2.5 cm chunks, the red onion into wedges and the pepper into 2.5 cm pieces. Pat the chickpeas very dry with paper towel so they crisp up.
ovenIn a large bowl, toss the vegetables and chickpeas with the first portion of oil, the ras el hanout and the first portion of salt. Spread them in a single layer on a lined 30×40 cm baking tray and roast in the oven for , turning once halfway, until browned at the edges and the squash is tender when pierced. Crowded trays steam instead of roast, so use two if needed.
Add in this stepCarrots 120 gButternut squash or pumpkin 160 gCourgette (zucchini) 120 gRed onion 80 gRed bell pepper 80 gCooked chickpeas (canned, drained) 100 gOlive oil 1½ tbspRas el hanout 1 tspSalt 0.4 tsp
ovenPut the couscous with the second portion of oil and salt in a heatproof bowl, pour over the boiling stock and cover immediately. Leave for , then fluff with a fork from the bottom up until light and separate.
Add in this stepCouscous (dry) 120 gBoiling vegetable stock 150 mlOlive oil 0.4 tbspSalt ⅛ tsp
Whipped feta: crumble the feta into a small blender with the yogurt, the finely grated lemon zest and half of the lemon juice, and blitz until smooth and creamy. No blender? Mash the feta with a fork, then beat hard with a whisk.
Add in this stepFeta 80 gGreek yogurt 60 gLemon ¼
Dressing: put the remaining oil, the honey, the rest of the lemon juice, the remaining salt and the pepper in a small jar, close the lid and shake until thick and blended.
Add in this stepOlive oil 0.6 tbspHoney 1 tspLemon ¼Salt ¼ tspBlack pepper 1 pinch
Spread a spoonful of whipped feta over the bottom of each bowl, then add the couscous and the roasted vegetables. Top with the halved cherry tomatoes, drizzle with the dressing and scatter with torn mint and pistachios. Serve warm.
Add in this stepCherry tomatoes 120 gFresh mint leaves 6 gUnsalted pistachios, roughly chopped 20 g
Cook's tip
Kept separately, the roasted vegetables and couscous last 3 days in the fridge, making this a great lunch box; add the dressing and feta when you eat. No ras el hanout? Mix equal parts cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon and paprika. Feta is salty, so check the seasoning at the end.
Cooking it at camp
Instead of the oven, grill the vegetables over embers or in a cast-iron pan; threading them on skewers makes turning easy. The couscous needs only boiling water, and the whipped feta and dressing can be made at home and carried in the cooler.