This couscous, ginger and spring onion salad is quick to make, vegan and easily transportable. Ideal for an impromptu picnic!
The peas make this salad enticing and beautiful in the bowl, while the coconut is creamy and the almonds offer a gentle crunch. The crystallised ginger is a surprise sweet note in this otherwise savoury salad, offset by the tangy and fresh spring onions. With the arrival of spring and the anticipation of summer, I wanted to create a firm favourite for those lazy afternoon picnics. Here are six reasons why I think this is a great salad to have on your picnic:
1. It’s easily transported to your picnic destination in a Tupperware box.
2. 15 minutes is all you need to make it, leaving more time for enjoying the outdoors.
3. With the carbs from the couscous it’s the only dish you need for a picnic, though if you have other food too, it’s a bonus.
4. Spring onions are the single fresh ingredient, so it’s perfect when you haven’t been food shopping because the weather is too good.
5. It contains no meat or animal produce, so ideal for a picnic with your vegetarian or vegan friends.
6. It will happily keep in the fridge till tomorrow for the second picnic in two days situation.The inspiration for this couscous, ginger and spring onion salad came, when I had a last minute invite to a bring and share picnic, and found the fridge was pretty bare. I turned to our store cupboard and found all sorts of dry goodies. A vegan friend would be at the picnic and the stock I normally use for cooking couscous turned out not to be vegan, hence the coconut cream. I love the creamy result.I last ate it on a rather fresh and blustery day on top of one of Edinburgh’s many hills, enjoying the views of the city. It proved its versatility for me that day, so I hope you’ll find it fits your next picnic occasion too.
Print1. It’s easily transported to your picnic destination in a Tupperware box.
2. 15 minutes is all you need to make it, leaving more time for enjoying the outdoors.
3. With the carbs from the couscous it’s the only dish you need for a picnic, though if you have other food too, it’s a bonus.
4. Spring onions are the single fresh ingredient, so it’s perfect when you haven’t been food shopping because the weather is too good.
5. It contains no meat or animal produce, so ideal for a picnic with your vegetarian or vegan friends.
6. It will happily keep in the fridge till tomorrow for the second picnic in two days situation.The inspiration for this couscous, ginger and spring onion salad came, when I had a last minute invite to a bring and share picnic, and found the fridge was pretty bare. I turned to our store cupboard and found all sorts of dry goodies. A vegan friend would be at the picnic and the stock I normally use for cooking couscous turned out not to be vegan, hence the coconut cream. I love the creamy result.I last ate it on a rather fresh and blustery day on top of one of Edinburgh’s many hills, enjoying the views of the city. It proved its versatility for me that day, so I hope you’ll find it fits your next picnic occasion too.
Couscous, ginger and spring onion salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6
Ingredients
- 200 g / 7 oz couscous
- 250 ml coconut cream
- 50 ml water
- 200 g / 7 oz frozen peas, ideally petit pois
- 75g crystallised ginger
- 8 spring onions
- 100 g / 3 ½ oz flaked almonds
Instructions
- Put the couscous into a bowl, that you can cover with a plate. Heat the water and the coconut cream in a small saucepan until just boiling. Then pour it over the couscous and cover with a plate for five minutes.
- Cook the peas until just done and then drain. (I use the same saucepan for this, that the coconut cream has just been in.)
- Finely chop the crystallised ginger. Top and tail the spring onions and finely slice.
- Using a fork, fluff up the couscous and mix in the peas, ginger, spring onions and almonds.
- That’s it, pop it all in a box and get ready for a delicious picnic.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates: 46g
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