This is the perfect autumn picnic salad! The roast pumpkin is soft and deliciously caramelised, the brie cheese is so creamy, the couscous has just the tiniest, most satisfying bite, the chickpeas are so crunchy and pop when you bite into them and the wedges of lime make the whole plate explode in a glorious zingy burst of flavour! I’m not sure it fits neatly into any kind of cuisine, but it’s terrifically tasty and works so well as a warm salad to take to a picnic or pot-luck, which is exactly what I plan to do with it now we’re able to start seeing a few friends again!

Couscous Salad w/ Roast Pumpkin, Chilli, Brie & Lime

Serves 3-4 as a side dish, or 2 as a light lunch

Ingredients

500g butternut pumpkin, cut into slices 1 cm thick

1 tsp grape seed oil

1 can of chickpeas, drained

1 Tbsp grape seed oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup pearl couscous (uncooked)

1 tsp Tamari (regular soy sauce is also fine)

1 tsp white miso paste

1/2 cup brie cheese, cut into cubes

1 lime, sliced thinly then cut into wedges

1 green chilli, thinly sliced

A handful of fresh oregano

Method

Toss the pumpkin in 1 tsp grape seed oil, place on an oven tray and sprinkle with a few generous pinches of salt. Roast at 200˚C for 20-30 minutes, flipping each piece over until the pumpkin is browned and caramelised on both sides.

Toss the chickpeas in 1 Tbsp grape seed oil, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Place on an oven tray and roast at 200˚C for 30-40 minutes, or until the chickpeas are browned, crisp and crunchy (you can roast the chickpeas at the same time as the pumpkin).

When the pumpkin and chickpeas are nearly done (with about 15 minutes to go), cook the couscous. Put the couscous, tamari, miso paste and 1 cup of boiling water in a small saucepan. Stir to mix thoroughly, then set over moderate heat with the lid on. Cook for 7 minutes, then remove from the heat and let sit for a few minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the roasted pumpkin, couscous, brie cheese, lime and chilli. Toss to combine. Serve while still warm, topped with the roasted chickpeas and the oregano.

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