Couscous Salad with Summer Vegetables

Couscous makes for a lighter salad than pasta but it still acts as an ideal backdrop for a variety of ingredients. Recipe serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of either home-made or bought chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup couscous
3 small eggplants, halved lengthwise and sliced 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup water
11 ounces (330 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 egg tomatoes, diced
1 small red (Spanish) onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or parsley
For the Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch black pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

1. In a saucepan, bring the stock to the boil; stir in 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and the couscous. Cover, remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick frying pan, heat the remaining oil over moderate heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the eggplants and saute, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and pepper. Saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the water, cover and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender, but still crisp.
3. To make the dressing, combine the juices, lemon zest, mustard and pepper in a large bowl, then whisk in the oil. Add the couscous, vegetable mixture, chickpeas, tomatoes, onion and mint and toss to combine. The salad will keep, refrigerated, for 2 days.