We love hearty, substantial salads of beans, grains and cooked veg. They are usually served cold and walk the line between a salad and a side dish, but they can also make a meal in and of themselves. This Tabbouleh chickpea salad is really adaptable too, you can use sweet potato or squash in place of the aubergine and swop the chickpeas for any tinned beans you have in your cupboard
Takes 40 minutesminutes
Serves 3
Ingredients
250gcooked bulgur wheat – approx 125g dry
250gcooked chickpea – 400g tin
150gof roasted aubergines – roast till super soft and melt in your mouth texture
100gof cherry tomatoes
50gspring onions/ scallionsapprox 2
50gof cucumber
large bunch Flat parsley20g
Bunch of fresh mint20g
Dressing
50mlOlive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1tbsptamari
Salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 C fan
Cook the bulgur according to pack instructions – make sure to add salt as you cook that way the salt cooks into grain as opposed to when you season later it simply sits on the surface. (Typically a grain doubles in weight from dried to cooked. Quinoa tends to triple.)
To roast your Aubergine, chop into large chunks – coat in a little oil and salt, spread out well on a baking tray and bake until soft and delicious – about 25 mins till soft. With aubergines you want to make sure you cook them till they reach a melt in your mouth like texture.
Drain and rinse your chickpeas – a can of cooked beans is 400g and drained weight normally is 230g so best to use a can and drain and rinse them
Chop your cucumber into small pieces, cut the cherry tomatoes cut in half, clean and slice the scallions, wash your herbs and chop finely. With the herbs ensure to include the stalks just chop them nice and finely as they contain lots of flavour. Taste and season with salt and ground black pepper to taste or suggested seasoning section
Mix the dressing ingredients together until combined.
Now to bring our salad together. In a large bowl start with bulgur, add the chickpeas, then the scallions, tomatoes and cucumber, add the dressing and mix well in the dressing. Taste and season with salt, ground black pepper or lemon juice to taste. Lastly add the mint, parsley and roasted aubergines and gently mix through. Serve as a delicious side to your favourite meals.
