Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad
What a most delicious way to farewell Spring, with my Moroccan roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad….YUM!
mmmmm…..roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with a most delicious spice blend….
We are so fortunate in Australia to have access to cuisine from many different cultures and I love how this influences my cooking
I don’t always follow the traditional way of using such ingredients, but luckily this often results in some new and most delicious flavour combinations….
My latest favourite ingredient to use is this Moroccan Spice Mix also known as Ras-el-hanout
what a great flavour combo – cauliflower, chickpeas and ras el hanout
Ras-el-hanout is a gorgeous blend of many different spices including turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika, allspice, fennel and ginger
Of course if you have too much time on your hands you can always make your own, but I like the Spice & Co blend as it tastes delicious, but it’s also just pure spices – no flavour enhancers or ‘fillers’. Plus it is easily available in our local fruit and veg shop (and Harris Farm)
Ras-el-hanout is typically used in tagines and cous cous dishes, but I decided to add it to this roasted cauliflower salad and it worked a treat!
This salad is a most gorgeous combination of tasty Moroccan-spiced roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, with a few Aussie twists from soft, sweet and juicy roasted capsicums, a slight tartness from the verjuice and gorgeous crunch from toasted hazelnuts.
You’ve got to try it!
- 1 whole cauliflower, cut into even-sized florets
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 x 400 gram tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1½-2 tablespoons Moroccan Spice Mix (ras-el-hanout)
- 1-2 tablespoons of verjuice (or use a mix of lemon juice and olive oil)
- a few handfuls of baby spinach leaves
- ½ cup roasted capsicum, diced
- ½ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- ½ cup roasted hazelnuts
- Heat oven to 190c and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Place the cauliflower in a large bowl.
- Add salt and pepper, drizzle with oil and toss to coat.
- Tip onto prepared oven tray and bake for 30 minutes, until softened and starting to brown.
- Remove cauliflower from oven and tip back into the large bowl.
- Add chickpeas and 1½ - 2 tablespoons of Moroccan Spice Mix. Toss gently to coat.
- Tip back onto oven tray and spread out evenly. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Arrange spinach leaves over the base of a serving dish.
- Top with warm cauliflower and chickpeas and drizzle with some verjuice.
- Arrange roasted capsicum and coriander over the top.
- Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts just before serving
- Note - this salad can be served warm or cold.
YUM!
