Slow-roasted tomatoes help to create a deeply flavourful vinaigrette.
Roasted Tomato and Couscous Salad
Number of Servings: 6
Salad and Vinaigrette Ingredients:
2 small baskets of cherry or grape tomatoes (about 3 cups), divided
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, unpeeled, left whole
Granulated sugar; sea salt; freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 mL) balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (15 mL) white/dark balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
Hot water
Sea salt; freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup (185 mL) Israeli couscous, uncooked
1 cup (250 mL) bocconcini cheese balls (cocktail or pearlette size), or cubes of feta cheese
1 cup (250 mL) loosely packed fresh basil leaves, left whole if not too large
Method:
- Slow-Roast tomatoes: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a heavy rimmed roasting pan with some parchment paper. Coat paper with some oil. Prepare 1 ½ cups of tomatoes (about 1 basket, reserving the remainder of the fresh tomatoes for the salad) by cutting them in half and arranging them, cut side up, in one layer on the parchment-covered roasting pan. Add unpeeled garlic cloves. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil; sprinkle with a little sugar, salt, and pepper. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over all. Slow roast for about 2-3 hours, or until tomatoes are dark red in colour, and have collapsed. Watch carefully during the last hour of roasting as you don’t want the tomatoes to char. Let cool for 20-30 minutes.
- Make vinaigrette: When tomatoes have cooled, place ½ cup (reserve the rest of the roasted tomatoes for the salad) of the roasted tomatoes in a food processor. Peel garlic and squeeze the roasted garlic into the food processor. Pour the roasting oil into the food processor, along with 2 more tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of white or dark balsamic vinegar. Puree until it becomes of vinaigrette consistency, adding a little hot water or extra oil if necessary… the vinaigrette may be a little ‘chunky’, but that’s a good thing. Season to taste. Set aside.
- Prepare couscous: Pour couscous into a pot of boiling salted water. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente (or according to package directions). Drain, give a quick rinse in cold water; and spread out on a parchment-covered baking sheet to cool (5 minutes). Place cooled couscous in a large salad bowl. Immediately stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Refrigerate to further cool (1/2 hour).
- When couscous has cooled down, add remaining roasted tomatoes (chopped), remaining fresh tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, and remaining vinaigrette. Chill until serving time.
- Just before serving, fold in fresh basil leaves.
Questions and comments are always welcome alex@chilipeppersandpears.com
