MOGHRABIEH (PEARL COUSCOUS) AND BEETROOT SALAD RECIPE

PREP TIME 20 mins
COOK TIME 1 min
TOTAL TIME 21 mins

This salad was delicious and made from ingredients I normally keep in the pantry, fridge and herb pots.

Author: Maureen Shaw
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

Salad
200 grams moghrabieh (pearl couscous/lebanese couscous)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (any kind you have)
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
4 beetroot(I used tinned whole baby beetroot and it worked just fine)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
pinch of salt
½ small red onion, finely sliced
marinated feta (about a dozen cubes or as much as you like)
2 tablespoons toasted sliced (or slivered) almonds (reserve a teaspoon of the almonds, pine nuts and pepitas for garnish)
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon toasted pepitas
Dressing
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar (you can leave this out, it was too tart for me)
Mint and Cumin Yogurt
¼ cup chopped mint
1 teaspoon ground cumin (you could use whole seeds and pound in a mortar and pestle)
1 cup yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS

Salad
1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F
2. Scrub the beetroot, place on a baking tray and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Cover with foil and place in the oven for an hour.
3. When cooked and soft, allow to cool, peel and slice into wedges.
4. Boil a pot of water and toss in moghrabieh and cook at a slow boil for 15 minutes. Drain and place on a baking tray to cool.
5. Chop the coriander (cilantro) and parsley and place in a large bowl.
6. Slice the onion and add to the bowl
7. Add moghrabieh and toss with your fingers.
8. Add beetroot and marinated feta and toss lightly.
9. Drizzle with dressing and serve with mint and cumin yogurt.

Dressing
1. Whisk all ingredients together until the oil disappears.

Mint and Cumin Yogurt
1. Whisk all together.