WARM WINTER SALAD
This warm winter salad is full of delicious, fresh flavours. Garlic, roasted veggies, sundried tomatoes, pesto and haloumi make for a delicious vegetarian combo.
I think this might be one of my new favourite salads – I love everything about it! The pearl couscous adds a nice contrasting texture and is actually quite flavoursome when cooked in chicken stock.
If you’re not fussed about vegetarian meals, you could add cooked chicken or salmon to bulk the meal up. Alternatively, serve with fresh buttered bread (delicious dunked in the pesto dressing!).
WARM WINTER SALAD
This warm winter salad is full of delicious, fresh flavours. Garlic, roasted veggies, sundried tomatoes, pesto and haloumi make for a delicious vegetarian combo. For bigger appetites, serve with fresh buttered bread.
Ingredients
SALAD
- 2 red onions
- 200 g haloumi (7oz)
- 4 large Portobello mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups pearl couscous (300g)
- 2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 500ml boiling water (2 cups)
- 1/4 cup pinenuts (30g)
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes (50g)
- 100 g sugar snap peas (3.5oz)
- 60 g baby spinach (2.1oz)
- Lemon wedges, to serve
DRESSING
- 1/4 cup basil pesto (60g)
- 2 Tbsp cold water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
PREPARE ROAST VEGGIES
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F) bake and line two oven trays with baking paper. Cut onion into wedges and haloumi into 5mm thick slices. Brush any dirt off the mushrooms. Place onion and mushrooms (stalks facing up) on one baking tray and haloumi on the other. Crush the garlic and place in a small microwave dish with the butter. Microwave until butter has melted, then brush over the mushrooms, onion and haloumi. Bake for 25 minutes, until onions are starting to crisp around the edges, mushrooms are tender and haloumi is a light golden brown. Keep an eye on the haloumi - if it looks like it is ready earlier, take it out the oven.
COOK COUSCOUS
While veggies are roasting, heat olive oil in a medium-large saucepan over a medium heat. Add couscous and stir until lightly toasted. Add chicken stock mixture and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until couscous is tender. Remove from heat and drain off any excess liquid.
PREPARE REMAINING INGREDIENTS
Toast the pinenuts in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Finely slice sundried tomatoes. Microwave sugar snap peas on high for 1 minute, until tender. Make the dressing by whisking together the pesto, water and lemon juice.
ASSEMBLE SALADS
On individual serving plates, layer spinach, mushrooms, couscous, onion, sugar snap peas, tomatoes and haloumi. Drizzle over dressing and sprinkle with pinenuts. Serve with a wedge of lemon.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: Go for a Pinot Gris or a Riesling.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Replace couscous with quinoa or millet. Prepare according to instructions on the packet. Make sure stock cubes and pesto are gluten-free.
BULK IT UP: For big appetites, you could serve this meal with fresh buttered bread or add some cooked chicken or salmon.
STORING AND REHEATING: Prepare salad in advance and gently reheat in the microwave.
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