40 mins plus rehydrating
Not Too Tricky
serves 4
About the recipe
This beautiful couscous number is just bursting with flavour. Piled high with roasted veg, feta, pomegranate and fresh herbs, it’s a joy to eat both hot and cold.
Ingredients
700g ripe mixed-colour tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 bunch of fresh mint (30g)
red wine vinegar
1 mug of couscous (300g)
1 aubergine
1 courgette
1 large red onion
2 Romano peppers
olive oil
125g feta cheese
2 sprigs of oregano
2 teaspoons runny honey
1 bunch of fresh soft herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, mint, basil (30g)
½ a pomegranate
30g unsalted shelled pistachios
optional: extra virgin oil
Method
- Roughly chop the tomatoes, peel the garlic and place in a blender. Tear in the mint, reserving a handful of nice baby leaves. Add 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of sea salt, then blitz until smooth (work in batches, if needed). Pour the mixture through a coarse sieve into a deep enamel tray or bowl. Season to perfection, tasting and tweaking, then stir in the couscous, cover, and leave to rehydrate in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Trim and cut the aubergine and courgette into 8 lengthways, peel and cut the onion into quarters, deseed the peppers and cut into quarters lengthways. Place it all in a large roasting tray, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, lightly season and toss together.
- Rub the feta with a little oil, strip over the oregano leaves, drizzle with the honey, then place in the centre of the tray and roast for 30 minutes, or until everything is lightly golden.
- Pick and finely chop the soft herbs, reserving a few small leaves for garnish, toss through the couscous with the roasted veg, then crumble over the feta.
- Hold the pomegranate half cut-side down in your fingers and bash the back of it with a spoon so the seeds tumble over the couscous. Scatter over the reserved herb leaves, then bash and sprinkle over the pistachios. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, if you like, then tuck in!
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