This is a simple yet very flavourful salad. It can be served as a substantial vegan meal or as a side dish in smaller portions. It also makes a lovely potluck dish. I make this with fresh colourful cherry tomatoes and aromatic herbs from the farmers’ market while still in season.

Ingredients

For the Couscous:

• 1 Cup Spelt Couscous
• 1 1/2 Cup Water
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander Seed
• 1/2  Tsp Ginger Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 Tsp Salt

Rest of Salad:

• 1  1/2 Cup Cooked Chickpeas
• 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes (chopped)
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Mint (finely chopped)
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1/4 Cup Almond Flakes
• 1 Clove of Garlic (Crushed ; optional)
• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Juice of 1-2 Limes (to taste)
• more salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method
1. Add the couscous and water to a small saucepan and bring into a boil over high heat and let it boil for a couple of minutes.
2. After 2-3 minutes, turn down the heat and add all the spices, salt and 2 Tbsp of EVOO to the pot and stir well. Now turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid and let the couscous absorb all the water and flavours.
3. Add all the other salad ingredients except for the almond flakes into a large bowl and mix.
4. Once the couscous is soft (about 5-10 minutes), fluff it with a fork and add it to the salad ingredients while it’s still hot. Toss everything together until thoroughly mixed.
5. Add the almond flakes and more salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve this salad when it’s warm but I’d prefer to let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or even better overnight, so that all the flavours come together, then let the salad come into room temperature before serving.