Merguez Sausage Couscous Salad

A wonderfully tasty couscous salad, which would be fantastic made with giant or Israeli couscous instead. I made this fantastic Israeli couscous dish a couple of weeks ago and thought that it would make a fantastic salad. I changed a few things, added in some olives and some seasoning as well as the sausages, I also used normal couscous instead of the giant stuff, either works, and it was delicious, lovely with the spiciness of the sausages.

Merguez Sausage Couscous Salad
(Serves 1)

1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 fennel bulb, diced
1/4 aubergine, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, skin left on
cooking spray
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ras-el-hanout
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 merguez sausages
75g dried couscous
6-8 olives, halved
1 tsp parsley, chopped
1/2-1 tsp harissa
1/4 preserved lemon, rind only, chopped
squeeze lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180C

On a baking tray spread out the onion, fennel, aubergine, red pepper and garlic clove, spray with cooking spray and mix until well coated. Sprinkle over the cumin and ras-el-hanout. Cook in the oven for 30 mins stirring  at 15 mins and adding the cherry tomatoes.

Cook the merguez sausage in the oven for 20-30 mins until cooked through.

Prepare the couscous according to packet instructions, usually putting into a bowl, pouring over boiling water and leaving to stand for 5 mins. Fluff with a fork.

Add the olives, parsley, harissa, preserved lemon and lemon juice to the couscous and mix.

When the merguez are cooked, cut into 2cm/1in chunks and add to the couscous.

When the roasted veg are done, carefully remove the garlic clove. Add the veg to the couscous. Squeeze the garlic out of it's skin into the couscous mixture and stir to combine. Pack into your lunch box and leave to cool. Refrigerate overnight and your lunch is ready for the following day.