Roasted Vegetable & Couscous Salad

I speak to a lot of busy people in clinic who say “I don’t have time to cook meals”, enter meal prep discussion. Now, I use the term meal prep loosely as most people associate it with chicken, rice, broccoli - BORING! I made this salad at the start of the week and will last me 3-4 days, and all I have to do is add some protein, and heat up (but could certainly be enjoyed cold!).

For this salad I also make the dressing each day, because it’s better fresh and can make the salad soggy if you add the dressing at the start of the week.

This salad was so filling and satisfying, because of the fibre and the fat in the dressing, it helps to keep blood sugar steady, avoiding the afternoon crash, not to mention all the micronutrients.

What you’ll need:

• Olive oil

• Vegetables of choice, I used:

  • Brussel sprouts

  • Pumpkin

  • Cauliflower

  • Broccoli

  • Beetroot

  • Purple onion

• 3/4 cup of couscous

• Spinach leaves

• Parsley (optional)

• For dressing:

  • Teaspoon of tahini

  • Tablespoon olive oil

  • Half a lemon or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

What to do:

1. Cut up vegetables and cover in olive oil and cook in oven at 180 degrees. Time will vary based on vegetables and size, so just keep checking.

2. The trick to cooking couscous is a 1:1.5 ratio (couscous:water). I used 3/4 cup of couscous so 1 1/2 cups of water. Place couscous in a large bowl and cover in water, leave for 5-7 minutes, then break up with a fork. I also added spinach leaves and parsley, mix through with a fork and the spinach will soften from the heat of the couscous.

3. Once the vegetables are cooked, add to the couscous mix and mix through.

4. As mentioned at the top, I make a serving of dressing each day while my salad is warming in the oven. So, for the dressing: Add all ingredients to a small jar and shake what your Mama gave you.

5. Pour dressing over serving and mix through with tongs.

Why not try:

• Add some soft feta (goats feta is divine with this salad)

• Add tablespoon of hummus

• Try different proteins, some ideas are:

  • Haloumi

  • Trout/salmon

  • Boiled egg

  • Tofu

  • Chicken