Chermoula is a herby, spicy marinade that elevates vegetables to new levels of delicious. Here I've roasted chickpeas, carrots and kohlrabi with the marinate and served with pearled spelt and sautéed greens for a well-rounded summer meal.
Serves 4
For the chermoula:
1 cup chopped fresh coriander, leaves and stems
1 cup parsley or mint leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 Tbsp preserved lemon, finely chopped (optional - if you don't have preserved lemon, use the zest of 1 fresh lemon)
Juice of half a lemon
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Roast veggies:
Tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
500g small carrots, scrubbed and cut lengthways
1 large kohlrabi or 2 small, peeled and cut into batons
1 large onion, cut into wedges
handful of coriander for garnish
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Chilli flakes
1 cup pearled spelt
To serve:
Yoghurt
200g greens (kale, spinach, chard)
1 garlic clove
Lemon
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C/Gas Mark 6.
Chermoula:
Add all the chermoula ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more oil or lemon juice to get a thick runny consistency. (This will produce a small jar's worth of sauce. You only need 2 tablespoons for this recipe. You can store the rest in the fridge for about a week - pour a layer of olive oil over to create a layer over the top of the sauce to preserve for longer.)
Roast veggies:
Mix the carrots, kohlrabi and onions with a drizzle of oil and a tablespoon of chermoula. Toss until well coated and spread out on a baking tray. Put in oven for about 20 minutes.
Marinade the chickpeas in the chermoula in the same way and add these to the roasting veggies after 20 minutes. Roast for another 15 minutes, until carrots and kohlrabi are tender and browning slightly.
Pearled spelt:
Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pearled spelt and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the spelt is soft but still has some bite. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Stir in some olive oil, a pinch of salt, pepper & chilli flakes and set aside.
Sautéed Greens:
For the greens, remove the large stems and chop the leaves roughly into smaller pieces. Chop the garlic clove finely. In a wok or large frying pan, add a tsp of olive oil and add the garlic. Let is sizzle for a bit and then throw in the greens. Stir fry for a few minutes, adding a bit of water to wilt the greens. Once the greens are cooke to your liking, add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice and set aside.
Plate up!
Once the veggies are roasted, assemble the pearled spelt, roast veggies and greens on each plate, Add a dollop of yoghurt, and more chermoula if desired and garnish with coriander leaves.
