Just the look of this winter salad from Jamie Oliver makes my mouth water. It’s inspired by the flavours of the Middle East and is bursting with rich textures, hits of caramelised roasted veggies and adorned with pomegranate seeds… totally and utterly yum.

JEWELLED SPELT & ROASTED VEG SALAD

Ingredients serves 4 – 6
250g spelt
Large aubergine, cut into wedges
10 Chantennay carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and halved
4 red onions, peeled, each cut into four or five rings
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
6 garlic cloves, bruised, skins on
2 tsp sumac
Tbsp pomegranate molasses
Zest and juice of 2 clementines
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Small bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
50g fresh pomegranate seeds

How to prepare
Cook the spelt according to pack instructions. Drain and leave to one side, but keep warm.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees/gas 4. Place aubergine, carrots and onions in large roasting tin and toss with 2 tbspn of the oil, plus the oregano, salt and pepper.
Roast for ten mins then turn the veggies over in the pan and add the garlic and sumac. Roast for a further 20 mins until the veggies are tender and the onions golden.
Scoop the carrots, aubergine and garlic from the pan and set aside. Then drizzle the molasses over the onions and pop back in the oven to roast for another two mins.
Mix the remaining olive oil with the clementine zest and juice, vinegar and seasoning and fold into the drained grains. They will soak up quite a lot of this lovely dressing. Gently fold in the vegetables and most of the parsley and pomegranate seeds. Pile onto a platter, then top with the rest of the seeds and parsley before serving.