Caramelised Fennel & Carrot Salad

This is another one from me, using the local, seasonal veg box from our pals at OrganicLea.

This recipe is inspired by Meera Sodha’s EAST which is a fab cookbook.

I love how this meal combines cooked and uncooked fennel. It tastes very different but is bursting with flavour both ways.

However, the real start of the show is the giant couscous simply cooked in bouillon!

This is a fancy lunch for two. It’s the salsa verde-esq dressing that takes most of the time but it’s well worth it.

All in this took 45 mins and I didn’t leave the kitchen!

• 2 large carrots
• 1 fennel bulb
• 3 garlic cloves
• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 150g organic fregola (giant couscous)
• 3 tsp organic bouillon powder
• 10g fresh dill
• 30g fresh parsley
• 10g fresh mint
• Half a lemon
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Thinly slice the onion and fennel. Cover in half the oil, chilli flakes and salt. Add them to a baking tray with the garlic unpeeled. Roast for 30 mins.

Pick the leaves from the herbs and finely chop with the fennel fronds (stalks).

Get the giant couscous in a pan with the bullion powder and begin simmering. Using a similar weight of water to couscous will mean you won’t need to drain it!

Take the roasted garlic from the tray, squeeze it out of its skin and chop it up with the capers. Add lemon juice, mustard and the remaining oil and combine with the chopped herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon couscous onto the plates, top with roasted veg and finish with dressing.

Enjoy!