kid’s customised couscous salad

Soups & Salads

Kid’s customised couscous salad

Couscous is easy to prepare and can be used as a base for a healthy salad that can contain whatever veg children choose. Couscous can be served warm as a side dish for stews and curries or cold as a salad - it is perfect cooked the day before for picnics and lunchboxes.

Ingredients

¼ cucumber
10 cherry tomatoes or 3 larger tomatoes
1 pepper, any colour
2 spring onions
100g/3½oz sweetcorn, frozen or tinned (drained weight)
150g/5½oz couscous
small lemon, juice only (you can also use orange)
1 tbsp olive oil
200ml/7fl oz boiling water
small bunch herbs, such as parsley and coriander
small handful nuts, such as flaked almonds, pine nuts, or pistachios
small handful olives, chopped
small handful dried fruits such as raisins, sultanas, chopped dried apricots

Directions

Kids job: Chop all of the vegetables into really small pieces. Kids need to be helped with chopping - use a knife which doesn’t have a pointy end. You can buy plastic salad knives for very little money which are ideal for kids to use. They can also use smooth edged table knives (not serrated which cuts fingers easily), but may need help chopping hard vegetables. It is good to chop alongside the kids with a sharp knife so they can see how it is done. Show them how to curl their fingers away from the knife like a claw, keeping your fingernails flat on the vegetable you are chopping.
Kid’s job: Place the couscous in a large heat proof bowl and then squeeze in the lemon or orange juice and a drizzle of olive oil.
Adult’s job: Pour the boiling water onto the couscous, cover with cling film, then set it aside to stand for five minutes.
Kid’s job: Use a fork to stir up the couscous until it looks fluffy.
Kid’s job: Add the chopped vegetables and stir well. If you want to add herbs, nuts, olives or dried fruits, stir these in, too. Serve with falafel, grilled chicken, or a few slices of griddled halloumi.