Roasted Pumpkin & Broccoli Salad with Pearl Cous Cous and Haloumi

As a paediatric dietitian (and a mum), I’m a big fan of a nourishing salad for lunch. It’s one of the easiest ways to boost your veggie intake—and trust me, you don’t want to leave all five serves of veg to dinner time. Most people can only manage 1–2 serves per meal, so spreading your veggies across the day makes it much more achievable. (Quick refresher: one serve is ½ cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of salad greens.)

I know from experience that mums—especially those at home with little ones—are amazing at feeding their kids but often neglect themselves. That’s where a bit of simple meal prep can make a big difference. I’m not into spending hours in the kitchen on weekends, but I do like to prep a big salad on Sunday or Monday. That way, I’ve got grab-and-go lunches sorted for a few days.

This roasted veggie and couscous salad is one of my go-tos. It takes about 30 minutes to pull together, and once it’s done, lunch is sorted. Plus, roasting is a great way to use up any veggies that are looking a little sad in the fridge. You can swap in whatever you have on hand, but the combo below is especially delicious.

🥗 Ingredients

• ~1kg Jap or Kent pumpkin, diced into 2cm cubes

• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

• 1 red onion, thickly sliced

• 2 cups baby spinach

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 120g haloumi, diced

• 250g pearl couscous

• 500ml chicken stock

• 2 tbsp slivered almonds

• Extra virgin olive oil, to finish

🔪 Method

1. Roast the veggies:
   Preheat oven to 200°C. In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin, broccoli, and onion with olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread onto a lined baking tray and roast for 25 minutes, or until golden and tender.

2. Cook the couscous:
   Add pearl couscous to boiling chicken stock, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

3. Fry the haloumi:
   In a small pan, heat 1–2 tsp of olive oil and fry the haloumi until golden brown (about 2–3 minutes). Set aside to cool.

4. Assemble the salad:
   In a large bowl, combine the roasted veggies, couscous, spinach, haloumi, and slivered almonds. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season to taste, and toss gently to combine.

5. Store or serve:
   Enjoy warm or cold. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This salad is filling, full of flavour, and packed with veggies. It’s one of those recipes that makes you feel good just looking at it—exactly the kind of energy we all need in the middle of a busy day.