Pearl Couscous salad

This salad is for the sensory food seeker. It has a lot of different textures, ingredients and tastes.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

• 1 small sweet potato

• 1 red onion

• 1 block of haloumi

• 2 spring onions, chopped

• 80 grams toasted pine nuts

• 1/3 cup currants

• 1.5 cups pearl couscous

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  For the dressing

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp lemon rind

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp fresh crushed garlic

• 1 tsp caster sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Cook pearl couscous as per packet instructions. Once cooked add to a large salad bowl and set aside.

3. Cut sweet potato into 1.5cm thick slices. Cut the larger rounds in half twice.

   Place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle over olive oil and toss well to coat.

   Roast for 20 minutes, then use a spatula to turn and roast for a further 10 minutes or until golden. While this is cooking;

4. Slice your onion into medium squares

5. Cook your onion in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the onion is translucent and starting to brown. Place this into the bowl with your pearl couscous.

6. Grab your Haloumi and slice it into strips, then half the strips. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan you cooked the onion in and now cook the haloumi on medium heat. Once the bottom side is brown, usually 5 minutes flip the haloumi. Once cooked add to the bowl with the couscous and onion.

7. Add your cooked sweet potato, roasted pine nuts, currants and spring onions to your pearly couscous bowl. Give it a good stir.

8. Make the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients into a jar. Place the lid on the jar and shake together.

9. Pour the dressing onto the couscous salad and stir together.

Written by Margo White, your Melbourne-based neurodiversity affirming clinical nutritionist and ND advocate.