Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables

This salad was part of my Middle-eastern themed dinner this past weekend (or 2 away. This recipe has been on my drafts for quite some time). Except for chopping the veggies, this dish needs less than 10 minutes of hands-on time and it can easily feed AND please a crowd. I made it about 4 hours before the party and all the flavors had enough time to mingle and make the dish super delish.

Here’s how I made it:
Ingredients:
Zucchini – 2 medium, sliced into ¼” half moons
Red peppers – 2, chopped into 1” pieces
Japanese Eggplant – 2, sliced into ¼” half moons
Red Onion – 1 medium, chopped into 1” pieces

Chickpeas - 1 cup, cooked
Balsamic vinegar – 3tbsp
Extra virgin Olive Oil – 2tbsp
Salt & Pepper – to taste
Herbe de Provence – 1tsp, crushed (or any other dried herbs)
Whole-wheat couscous – 2 cups

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place the chopped veggies in a large bowl and add balsamic vinegar, oil, s&p & herbs. Mix well to coat the veggies with the marinade. Transfer to baking sheet (s) and bake for 30-35 minutes turning the veggies half-way through until roasted around the edges. Remove from oven and cool.
• In the meantime cook couscous: Boil 4 cups of water with 1tsp olive oil and salt, once the water comes to a rolling boil, add couscous and turn off the heat. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff the grains with a fork and add 1tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
• Gently mix in the roasted veggies and cooked chickpeas; season with more vinegar or salt & pepper. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.
• Garnish with chopped parsley & coriander if desired. You can also add some feta cheese or queso fresco to make it a fancier and non-vegan.