Name: Warm maple-glazed carrot & giant couscous salad with green tahini
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 450g baby carrots; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or pul biber or use a mild chilli flake; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tbsp olive oil; ½ fennel bulb thinly sliced; 1 lemon juiced; 200g giant couscous; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 225g block halloumi cut into cubes; small bunch of mint plus some leaves to serve; small bunch of parsley or carrot tops, plus some leaves to serve; 1 garlic clove; 100g natural yogurt; 2 tbsp tahini; 2 tbsp pistachios roughly chopped; 6 dates pitted and roughly chopped

Warm maple-glazed carrot & giant couscous salad with green tahini

This colourful salad makes for a great meat-free main or hearty side. If you prefer to make it vegan, leave out the halloumi and use a plant-based yogurt

1 hr total 15 min prep 45 min cook 4 625 cal

Instructions

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1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. If the carrots are chunky cut them into long batons, or if using slim carrots, leave them whole. Toss with the maple syrup, pepper flakes, vinegar, olive oil and a good pinch of salt in a roasting tray. Bake for 30 mins, shaking the tray halfway through cooking.
2 Put the fennel in a medium bowl and season, then squeeze over the juice of half the lemon. Mix well and set aside to lightly pickle.
3 Cook the couscous following pack instructions, then drain and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
4 When the carrots have had 30 mins cooking time, add the halloumi to the tray, tossing to help coat it in the juices. Roast for another 10-15 mins until the halloumi is golden and the carrots are soft and sticky.
5 Next make the green tahini sauce. Put the mint, parsley, garlic, yogurt, tahini, remaining lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, with a good pinch of salt, in a small food processor. Blitz until smooth, adding a drizzle of water to loosen the sauce if needed.
6 Give the couscous a stir to help loosen, then tip onto a plate. Top with the carrots, halloumi and their sticky roasting juices. Add the fennel, scatter over the pistachios, dates and fresh herbs and drizzle over the dressing. Toss everything together before serving.