A little bit of couscous is a great way to bind the spicy, lemony dressing with the roasted vegetables and chickpeas. I buy big, meaty green olives from my favorite Middle Eastern market for this salad. The olives have pits, but a good whack with the side of a chef’s knife makes them easy to remove. Enjoy the salad warm, room temperature, or chilled.

Serves 4


Ingredients



  • 1 head cauliflower (about 1 pound), trimmed to 1-inch florets
  • 8 ounces carrots (about 1 small bunch), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted brine-cured green olives
  • 1/4 cup currants
  • 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds
  • Additional Italian parsley sprigs
  • Lemon wedges
  • Moroccan-Spiced Dressing (see separate recipe)

Directions


Preheat the oven to 450°F. Brush a heavy large rimmed sheet pan with olive oil. In a medium bowl, toss the cauliflower and carrots with the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Spread the cauliflower mixture in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Roast the vegetables in the oven until browned in places and tender, stirring once, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup water and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a heavy small saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl; mix in the cauliflower, carrots, garbanzo beans, green onions, chopped parsley, cilantro, olives, and currants. Whisk the Moroccan-Spiced Dressing to blend; add to the salad and mix well. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper. (Salad can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Sprinkle almonds over the salad and garnish with parsley sprigs. Serve with lemon wedges.

From Salad for Dinner (Rizzoli) by Jeanne Kelley.

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