Roasted chickpeas, capsicum & red onion, crispy couscous, tahini dressing
Serves 30 as a side
🌱 Tom: yes🛡️ Paddy: no
Fully vegan — great for Tom. Not safe for Paddy: the dressing is tahini-based (sesame).
Michaela's method, straight from her — the trick is roasting (not boiling) the chickpeas and veg, and frying the couscous dry before adding the liquid so it crisps up rather than going mushy.
Roasted Spiced Chickpeas
INGREDIENTS
4 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and patted dry
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1/2–1 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
METHOD
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Toss the chickpeas with olive oil, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne and a good pinch of salt.
Spread on trays and roast until very crispy, about 25–30 minutes, shaking the trays halfway through.
Roasted Capsicum & Red Onion
INGREDIENTS
4 capsicums, cut into chunks
2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt, to taste
METHOD
Toss the capsicum and red onion with olive oil and salt.
Roast at 220°C (alongside the chickpeas, or in a second tray) until soft and crispy at the edges, about 20–25 minutes.
Crispy Pearl Couscous
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
6 cups (1kg) pearl (Israeli) couscous
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2–3 cups water, as needed
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the dry couscous, stirring, until lightly toasted and starting to crisp — a few minutes.
Pour in the stock and water and bring to a simmer. Stir through the garlic.
Keep cooking, stirring occasionally, until the couscous has absorbed the liquid and crisps up again in the pan. Work in batches if your pan isn't large enough.
Tahini Dressing
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups tahini — Beks has a nice one, grab that if you can
1 cup + 2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tsp maple syrup
Salt, to taste
Ice water, to thin
METHOD
Whisk tahini and lemon juice together first — it will seize up and turn pale, that's normal.
Stir in the maple syrup and a pinch of salt.
Whisk in ice water, a splash at a time, until pourable and smooth.
Note — Simon's dressing — the first tahini dressing recipe that comes up on Google, scaled up. Can be made 2 days ahead and thinned with a little extra ice water before serving.
To Assemble
INGREDIENTS
2 large handfuls baby spinach, finely sliced
METHOD
Toss the roasted chickpeas, roasted capsicum and onion, and crispy couscous together in your largest bowl(s).
Dress generously and toss well.
Fold through the spinach just before serving so it stays vibrant.