Moroccan Couscous Salad with Roasted Carrots, Dates and Chickpeas

An aromatic couscous salad with roasted carrots, chickpeas and dates that is easy to prepare in advance. It tastes just as good cold from the fridge as it does lightly warmed.

By yumbelo · 4 servings · 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 300 g Couscous
• 500 g Carrots
• 1 can Chickpeas (can, drained)
• 100 g Dates, pitted
• 1 pc red onion
• 1 pc garlic clove
• 1 pc Lemon (juice)
• 150 g plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 40 g Sunflower seeds
• 1 bunch Parsley
• 1 tsp Cumin, ground
• 1 tsp Paprika powder, sweet
• 5 tbsp Olive oil
• 400 ml Water
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C, conventional heat (top and bottom).
2. Peel the carrots, cut them into finger-thick pieces and spread them on a baking tray together with the drained chickpeas. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, cumin, paprika powder, salt and pepper and roast for 25 minutes, until the carrots are soft and the chickpeas are crispy.
3. Finely dice the onion, finely chop the garlic and cut the dates into small pieces. Rinse the parsley and finely chop it.
4. Put the couscous in a large bowl, pour 400 ml boiling water over it, season with salt and 1 tbsp olive oil and let it steam covered for 5 minutes. Then fluff it up with a fork and let it cool.
5. For the dressing, stir the yogurt smooth with the lemon juice, garlic, honey, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper.
6. Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan until golden brown and let them cool on a plate.
7. Mix the cooled couscous with the roasted carrots, chickpeas, dates, onion and parsley. Fold in the dressing and season the salad to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
8. Fill the salad into four storage containers and keep them in the fridge. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds on top only just before eating so they stay crunchy.
9. To reheat, microwave for about 1 minute, or eat cold. The salad keeps in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days.