Warming roast veg salad

BARLEY

1 cup raw barley or bulgur wheat
2 – 3 sachets or cubes of your favourite stock
2 ½ cups water

Bring barley and broth to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before straining through a colander. Set aside.

ROAST VEG

± 400g Root vegetables (Sweet potato, beetroot, parsnips etc)
2 Red onions, quartered
200g Baby carrots
3 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
Salt & pepper, to season
A few sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat your oven to 200C. Peel and cut your chosen veg into chunky cubes, keeping the baby carrots whole.
Pour the oil into a roasting tin, scatter and roll the vegetables in the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place into heated oven for 45-55 minutes, until veggies are cooked through and fork tender.

• Note: you can use any seasonal veg for this salad and adapt it to what you have available. Keep in mind that the smaller you cube your vegetables, the faster they will cook.

DRESSING

1 ½ cup loosely packed mixed soft leaf herbs such as flat leaf parsley, basil, dill, sage etc.
2 medium cloves garlic (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons honey
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combined all of the ingredients, except the oil, into a food processor and blitz until it forms a paste. Slowly add the olive oil to emulsify the dressing.

SEEDS

100g pumpkin Seeds
100g sunflower seeds

TO SERVE

Add the seeds to a hot pan and toast by stirring continuously until lightly browned. Set aside to cool before adding to salad.

Assemble the salad by layering the veg & barley, top with dressing and seeds and serve with your next braai, roast dinner or as a hearty lunch on its own.