Load up with this delicious super easy Spring recipe with a variety of healthy vegetables, high fibre couscous and protein rich whipped cottage cheese and yogurt with fresh dill. Garnish with fresh herbs and microgreens.
Every time I make a recipe like this, I ask myself why I don’t do it more often. They are so good and you walk away from the table completely satisfied and feeling so good to have had a healthy meal.
This recipe came to be when I was needing to use up some vegetables in the refrigerator and pantry ingredients. Often times, that’s how recipes are created. I stare at an ingredient or two and ask myself, what can I make with this ingredient. Yes the wheels start turning and it’s a matter of what am I feeling like at the time. Spring is here and I couldn’t resist to make a healthy bowl with some cottage cheese I needed to use up. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It’s so delicious and enjoy it with my Homemade Pita Bread.
WHY MAKE THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE
- HEALTHY
- PROTEIN-RICH
- HIGH IN FIBRE
- EASY TO MAKE
- SATISFYING
- DELICIOUS
- MAKES A GREAT LUNCH, SALAD OR APPETIZER
- MAKE IT WITH YOUR FAVOURITE VEGETABLES
These are a few reasons to make this recipe and once you do, you will want to make it often. It’s such a great recipe to take to lunch during a busy week.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
This recipe is so easy to make and everything can be prepared at the same time.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line medium baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer and spread the chickpeas on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Remove from oven and while still warm, sprinkle with paprika and gently toss until coated. Set aside to cool.
- Cook the couscous following the instructions on the package. Set aside until cooled. Then prepare the vegetables.
- Creamy Dill Dressing: using a food processor, add cottage, yogurt, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend until the cottage cheese is creamy.
- Arrange the vegetables, couscous and dressing on serving dishes. Then drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice over the vegetables and top with roasted chickpeas and feta. Garnish with fresh parsley and dill. Serve with pita bread.
HELPFUL TIPS WHEN MAKING THIS RECIPE
- To remove the skins of the chickpeas: once they have been washed and drained, spread the chickpeas over a kitchen towel and roll them gently with your hands. Use a kitchen towel to dry them.
- While chickpeas are roasting, cook the couscous, so it has time to cool before adding to the dish.
- When making the cottage cheese dressing, I would suggest to use a food processor to create a creamy texture. If you have a good blender, then that would work too.
- Since I used the pita bread for dipping some of the cottage cheese and yogurt dressing, the remaining was to combine it with vegetables. As well, I drizzled some olive oil and squeezed some lemon juice over the greens.
SALAD OR A BOWL
There is no restrictions here when it comes to a dish like this when there are a variety of vegetables, grains and/or beans. When making this recipe, I wanted something with lots of vegetables, beans or lentils and a healthy grain. A great recipe to make into a cold salad, which means the couscous needs to be cold.
So when it comes to this recipe, there are all kinds of options. Choose your variety vegetables and a grain to your liking. I would recommend the crispy roasted chickpeas, as they add spicy sweet/smoky flavour when coated with paprika and love the crunch.
The whipped cottage cheese and yogurt dressing is rich and creamy and works will with the pita bread. So if you want to thin it out add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and an tablespoon or two of lemon juice. I would suggest to taste it as you are adding these liquids so you get the right flavour you will enjoy. However you make this recipe, you will thoroughly enjoy it as much as we did! 🙂
Crispy Chickpeas, Couscous and Baby Spinach with Creamy Dill Dressing
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- smoky or sweet paprika
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cucumber, quartered
- 6-8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 coloured pepper, sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup cooked couscous
- 1 shallot, sliced
- microgreens, for garnishing (optional)
- parsley and dill for garnishing
- feta for garnishing
Creamy Cottage Cheese Dill Dressing:
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh dill
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line medium baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the chickpeas over a kitchen towel and roll them gently with your hands to remove skins. Use the towel to dry them, transfer to the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and add salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Remove from oven and while still warm, sprinkle with paprika and gently toss until coated. Set aside to cool.
- Cook the couscous following the instructions on the package. Set aside until cooled. Then prepare the vegetables.
Creamy Cottage Cheese Dill Dressing:
- Using a food processor, add cottage, yogurt, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend until the cottage cheese is creamy.
- Arrange the vegetables, couscous and dressing on serving dishes. Then drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice over the vegetables and top with roasted chickpeas and feta. Garnish with fresh parsley and dill. Serve with pita bread.
