A vibrant yet simple roast veg salad, topped with crispy roasted chickpeas and a green chilli zoug, a middle eastern ‘salsa verde’ laced with spices and garlic.
Delicious alone or pairs well on a bed of grains like quinoa, cous cous, freekeh, to bulk up as a big meal. The zoug can also be made from leftover herb stalks, parsley can be substituted for coriander or basil, or a combination of all 3. This dish is vegan but would also pair beautifully with crumbled feta.
Serves 4 as a sharing salad or served with grains.
INGREDIENTS
2 sweet potatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp zaatar
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
Zoug:
1 green chilli, roughly chopped (seeds can be removed for less heat)
½ bunch parsley, leaves and small stalks
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
75ml olive oil
Salt, pepper
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan. Slice the sweet potatoes into rounds, around 1.5cm wide.
2. Arrange the sweet potato on one baking tray lined with baking paper and the chickpeas on another.
3. Season both with the paprika, cumin, a good drizzle of olive oil, salt pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked through (a cutlery knife should easily pierce) and the chickpeas are toasted and crispy.
4. Meanwhile, make the zoug dressing by finely chopping or placing all ingredients in a blender and blitzing to a chunk paste. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. Dress the potatoes and chickpeas with the zoug to serve and extra zaatar.