Moroccan chickpea and couscous salad
We’ve had such a positive response to this Moroccan chickpea and couscous salad. It’s one of those recipes that tastes really impressive but doesn’t use too many ingredients or involve too many steps. What’s more, it’s inexpensive and nourishing. It can be served as a side salad and makes a wonderful accompaniment to our Moroccan baked chicken. And between the couscous, chickpeas and vegetables, it’s hearty enough to be eaten as a balanced meal in itself.
Chickpeas not only add a wonderful flavor and texture to this Moroccan salad, they’re a good source of vegetable protein and a number of important vitamins and minerals including calcium and folate. They’re also a great source of dietary fiber, which helps lower LDL cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar levels.
You can use canned or dried chickpeas, but if you use dried, you’ll need to soak them overnight and then cook them before adding to the salad.
¼ cup raisins
1¼ cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove — minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 carrot — peeled and grated
½ red pepper — diced
¼ red onion — finely diced
1 cup canned chickpeas — rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
