The weather was kind this weekend, Mr TS wandered off to Portland to do a bit of essential maintenance on the boat’s bottom, DG disappeared to the river with her chums, BB and I gardened, biked and played and my teen boys revised. Again. It’s endless. I’m going to write a parenting manual warning people of the fool hardiness of leaving a two year gap between children – it works really well right up to the point where they are sitting GCSEs and A Levels at THE SAME TIME! As I wrote for Tesco Living, there isn’t much I can do for them other than listen a lot and keep them well fed. This cous cous salad eaten under the shade of the apple tree is full of goodness and summer promise – the exams will finish, you will be free to enjoy the sunshine or to sleep until the afternoon but, in the meantime, get this in your tummy.
Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook,Twitter and Instagram where I share recipe ideas, links to vegan events and articles and where I natter on about my favourite subject – vegan food

Couscous Salad in the Shade of My Apple Tree
Ingredients
- 125 g couscous
- 200 ml hot vegetable stock made with 2 tsp vegan Marigold bouillon powder and 1tsp chilli oil
- 2 spring onions sliced
- 50 g roasted butternut squash I always roast more than I need for a recipe and freeze the rest for just such an occasion
- 100 g sugar snap peas
- 30 g vegan greek cheese or tofu diced
- Sprig of thyme finely chopped
- Sprig of parsley roughly chopped
- 2 tbsps dried cranberries or to taste, I didn't measure them out, I just threw in what I fancied!
- Omega seed mix the one I used included pumpkin, sesame, sunflower linseed and golden linseed
- 2 tbsp chilli oil
- 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pour the stock over the couscous, cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes
- Gently fry the seeds in the chilli oil until they just begin to change colour, add the tamari and sizzle briefly, remove from the heat
- Steam the sugar snaps for 5 minutes - you want them crunchy not soggy
- Fluff up the couscous with a fork
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl
- Stir in the seeds with their oil and tamari
- Serve
Notes
Nutrition
This serves two as a generous lunch, four as a side salad.
Oh no…I have a two year gap too! I think you better get writing that manual!!!
I miss couscous being gluten-free, it used to be one of my Summer favourites rather like yours filled with lots of gorgeous colourful veg, feta & fresh herbs! It is not the same with rice I am afraid *sighs!
Love the fact you titled it under the shade of your apple tree! We have a gorgeous beech tree in our very small garden but I love the shade under it to, so relaxing!
I have a two year gap between number 2 and 3 too Ali, bad planning!
Can you eat quinoa? This would work really well with that! Our garden is very small too and I love the apple tree – I have a bench underneath it and it’s my very favourite place to sit 🙂
This looks delicious and funnily enough we ate something similar for dinner today. I have two lots of two year gaps also, didn’t think that one through at all!
This looks delicious and healthy, Chris (and i love the photos, superb), all the better for being eaten with daisy’s as table mats. Don’t think i could get cranberries past my 7yr old boy but i could replace for sultanas….in the meantime, i’m now glad that my two have a a 3 academic yr gap, even though they’re only 2.3 yrs apart…!