Spice-roasted cauliflower & broccoli with warm olive couscous salad

Crisp-tender spice-roasted cauliflower & broccoli are served with a subtly-flavoured, summery couscous salad. A relaxing vegan dinner!

This is the sort of vegetarian meal that many meat-eaters – my own dearest DH included – often complain about. It consists basically of side dishes, with no identifiable lump of protein to be seen. However, to such people I say, get a grip – it’s delicious! You may need to manage expectations when you serve this, but it’s definitely worth it.

Roasted cauliflower and broccoli

You could certainly serve these roasted vegetables, or the couscous salad, as a side dish. However I think they’re so yummy, savoury and filling that they make a fabulous meal in themselves. The roasted cauliflower and broccoli are crispy without, tender within, and the coating browns gorgeously in the oven to create a lightly spiced taste sensation!

Meanwhile the couscous has a gentle, understated flavour that complements without overpowering. Yum yum yum.

No-stress cooking – roasted cauliflower & broccoli

Although the spice roasted cauliflower and broccoli take a little while to cook, I found making this dinner quite relaxing. You have plenty of time to get the various parts ready without any rushing, and there’s even time to set the table nicely and make a quick fruit salad for dessert if that’s your thing. A stress-free meal – perfect.

I used ras-el-hanout as my spice mix, as it’s fragrant and complex without too much heat. DH complained that it wasn’t hot enough. If you like your spices fiery I recommend doctoring the recipe with some hot paprika, cayenne or chilli to taste. Or splash over a little tabasco at the table.

Easy recipe – simple ingredients

The ingredients for these roasted vegetables and couscous salad couldn’t be simpler. I love meals that come together from basic fresh produce plus a few store cupboard standbys. To make this spice-roasted cauliflower and broccoli with olive couscous salad, all you will need is:

• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Ras-el-hanout – or a similar spice blend like baharat, hawaij or shwarma spice
• Flour – helps the roasted veggies to get really crispy
• Couscous
• Olive oil
• Vegetable stock – or just use hot water
• Fresh parsley
• Tomatoes
• Black olives – or use whatever kind of olives you have to hand

Simple salad

The couscous salad is simplicity itself to make. You can easily adjust the ratio of olives/tomatoes/herbs/couscous to suit your taste. My daughter Kipper, for instance, would probably have 90% olives, no tomatoes, 1% parsley and 9% couscous, but that’s just the way she rolls. Feel free to make it your own.

This made enough couscous salad for 2-3 people, but we scoffed down all the delicious veggies and could happily have eaten more. Make plenty. This amount serves 2 (ish).

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📖 Recipe

Spice-roasted cauliflower & broccoli with warm olive couscous salad

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Crisp-tender spice-roasted cauliflower & broccoli are served with a subtly-flavoured, summery couscous salad.

5 from 1 vote

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Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 3

Calories 406 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the spice-roasted vegetables

• 1 small cauliflower
• 1 medium head broccoli
• 1 teaspoon ras-el-hanout
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2-3 tablespoon olive oil

For the couscous salad

• 150 ml hot vegetable stock
• 120 g couscous
• 50 g pitted black olives
• 50 g cherry tomatoes
• Good handful fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

 

For the vegetables

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Put a large pan of water on to boil.
• 1 small cauliflower, 1 medium head broccoli
  Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into florets and wash well. Cook in the boiling water for 2 minutes then drain thoroughly.
• 1 teaspoon ras-el-hanout, 1 tablespoon flour, 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
  Meanwhile, mix the ras-el-hanout with the flour and oil. Toss the drained vegetables in the spice-flour-oil mixture.
• Spread the vegetables out on a non-stick baking sheet and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and cooked through.

For the couscous salad

• 150 ml (⅝ cups) hot vegetable stock, 120 g (⅔ cups) couscous
  Bring the vegetable stock to the boil. Add the couscous, stir, remove from the heat and cover. Leave to stand for at least 5 minutes.
• 50 g (1 ¾ oz) pitted black olives, 50 g (1 ¾ oz) cherry tomatoes, Good handful fresh parsley
  Meanwhile, slice the black olives and cut the tomatoes into small dice. Finely chop the parsley.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  Once the couscous has absorbed all the stock, add the olive oil and fluff with a fork. Stir in the olives, tomatoes and parsley, and serve, with the roasted vegetables.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Spice-roasted cauliflower & broccoli with warm olive couscous salad

Amount per Serving

Calories

406

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

18

g

28

%

Saturated Fat

 

3

g

19

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

12

g

Sodium

 

558

mg

24

%

Potassium

 

1025

mg

29

%

Carbohydrates

 

53

g

18

%

Fiber

 

10

g

42

%

Sugar

 

6

g

7

%

Protein

 

13

g

26

%

Vitamin A

 

1527

IU

31

%

Vitamin C

 

227

mg

275

%

Calcium

 

146

mg

15

%

Iron

 

3

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword broccoli, cauliflower, couscous, herbs, olive, tomato

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More delicious vegetarian recipes

Other delicious vegetarian meals you might enjoy include this easy Mediterranean vegetable and halloumi tray bake, this delicious carrot and butterbean tagine, or this fabulous cheesy parsnip pasta bake.