LUNCH - The Mediterranean Cous Cous Salad

A great BBQ salad that is better made the night before, so get ahead! This salad keeps very well and is beautifully served cold or warm.

Ingredients 

• 1 Red and 1 Yellow Pepper
• 1 Aubergine
• 2 Red onions
• 1 Courgette
• 250g Cous cous
• 300ml Hot vegetable Stock
• Ballymaloe Balsamic and Irish Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• Juice of half a lemon
• Seeds from half a pomegranate
• 25g Toasted almonds, flaked
• 50g Toasted hazelnuts, whole and roughly chopped
• 50g Dried cranberries/ raisins
• 8 Cherry tomatoes halved
• 15g Parsley picked and chopped
• 15g Mint picked and chopped

Dietary Suitability

• Dairy free
• Suitable for vegetarians
• Suitable for vegans

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200c.
2. Peel the red onion and cut into wedges, keeping the root on
3. Cut the vegetables into 2-inch chunks. Then toss the prepared vegetables in a bowl in one tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
4. Pop onto a roasting tray and oven roast for 20-25 minutes until the vegetable is starting to char at the edges.
5. In a medium saucepan, bring your vegetable stock to the boil. Stir in the couscous add 2 teaspoons of Ballymaloe Balsamic Dressing into the water along with the juice of half a lemon. Remove from the heat and cover tightly with a lid and let the couscous steam for 5 minutes. Fluff using a fork.
6. Once your veg has cooled, combine everything together along with the pomegranate seeds, toasted chopped almonds and hazelnuts, the dried cranberries/ raisins, a big bunch of chopped parsley and mint, sliced cherry tomatoes and a big drizzle of Ballymaloe Balsamic dressing! Stir gently to combine, and place on a large serving platter with a few mint and parsley leaves scattered over the top to garnish.