Turkish Bulgur Wheat Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumbers.

Can we all agree that homegrown, garden-fresh tomatoes are superior to any grocery store variety? I will answer for all of us – yes, of course! Add some fresh carrots and cucumbers and you’ve got yourself some fine ingredients for salad making.

{If you have no garden, my advice, start planning one for next year or join a community garden space.}

One of the best advantages of home gardening is that you get all the extras. What I mean by extras in this particular recipe is the carrot tops. If you haven’t ever eaten the tops of carrots you are missing out!

Loaded with nutrients, you won’t usually find them in the grocery store because commercial growers typically spray them with pesticides. I LOVE making pesto with carrot greens. They have just the slightest amount of spice that makes an excellent addition to almost anything – like this salad!

Same goes for broccoli plants. They grow with big giant leaves – beautiful sturdy greens that can be sauteéd with garlic or added to any stir fry.

Temperatures and humidity this week have left me stagnant in the kitchen. By the time dinner rolls around I am not turning on the oven. That’s when we can turn to a bulgur wheat salad.

This whole grain salad uses bulgur wheat which is really common in Middle Eastern cuisine. The great thing about making it is that you boil hot water in a kettle, pour it over the grains, cover and let it sit for 20 minutes. That’s all the cooking you need to do.

Everything else in this salad – outside of the 3 minutes to toast the almonds – is raw. Cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, scallions, maybe a little feta if you’re in the mood…and the best part in my opinion is the dressing. Made with pomegranate molasses which adds so much tangy sweet flavor – it’s my favorite kind of molasses. (I even added it to cookies awhile back!)

Turkish Bulgur Wheat Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumbers

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Prep time

35 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

40 mins

Makes 4-6 ∙ Source Tastespace.wordpress.com

Author: Oat&Sesame

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

Grains

• 1.5 cup coarse bulgur wheat
• 3 cups water
  

Dressing

• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 2 Tbs pomegranate molasses
• zest of 1 lemon + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
  

Everything Else

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups diced cucumbers
• 2 cups cherry/grape tomatoes, about 1 pint, halved/quartered
• ½ cup peeled + chopped carrots (carrot greens reserved if attached)
• ½ cup chopped carrot greens OR parsley if carrot greens aren't available
• 4-5 scallions, green parts only, chopped
• 1 Tbs chopped mint (more if you like mint, I like it super subtle)
• 2 teaspoon Aleppo chili pepper flakes
• ¾ cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 4 oz crumbled feta to top, optional

Instructions

1. Prepare bulgur wheat by placing grains in a large heat proof bowl. Boil the 3 cups of water, pour it over the grains, cover and wait about 20 minutes. All the water will be absorbed.
2. While you're waiting, mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Chop all the veggies - set aside. Toast the almonds (350F, 3 min) - set aside.
3. Combine cooked bulgur, chickpeas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, carrot greens or parsley, scallions, and mint in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Add dressing + pepper, toss again.
4. Top with toasted almonds and optional feta.

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