Bulgur, Couscous and Puy Lentil Salad

This is one of my favourite salads lately. I made it when Cooper was staying with his grandparents. He would have really turned his nose up at this. Some battles are worth fighting, but this isn't one of them.

If I deconstructed the salad, he would have eaten the carrots, cucumber and puy lentils, but mix it up and add tomatoes and herbs. Forget it. Children can be hard work sometimes, can't they, bless them!

 

Updated Tabbouleh Salad

Graham and I loved this. It's a bit of an updated tabbouleh made with bulgur wheat, couscous and puy lentils to give it a bit of body. The salad also includes cucumber, carrots, roasted red peppers, fresh tomatoes and sun blush tomatoes. 

Extra Flavour

When you are cooking grains, couscous, bulgur wheat, quinoa or rice, use vegetable stock instead of water for more flavour. The grains totally soak up all the yummy savoury taste. It's really worth it.

We ate this tabbouleh salad with a dollop or homemade hummus and some crusty bread, It was wonderful. Although Graham did say I made the hummus too garlicky. That man can detect garlic a mile off. Honestly, he can be just as bad as the child. *sigh*

I hope you try the salad and enjoy it as much as we did. It's good in a lunchbox or packed up for a summer picnic or BBQ.

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Bulgur, Couscous and Puy Lentil Salad

Written by Jacqueline Meldrum

April 07, 2015

An updated tabbouleh with puy lentils, carrots, cucumber, roasted red pepper, fresh and sunblush tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 120g bulgur wheat and couscous
• 500ml vegetable stock (1 veg stock cube)
• 250g ready to eat puy lentils
• 2 roasted red peppers, sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced into slithers
• ¼ cucumber, finely sliced lengthways
• 12 sunblush tomatoes, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil (or oil from the sunblush tomato jar)
• a good squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 ripe salad tomatoes, cut into chunks
• a handful of mint, chopped
• a good grinding of black pepper

Instructions

1. Place the bulgur wheat and couscous in a pan, cover with stock and stir. 2. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until the liquid is almost gone. 3. Fluff with a fork, then stir in the puy lentils, red peppers, cucumber, carrots and sunblush tomatoes. 4. Toss in the oil and lemon juice and season with black pepper. 5. Top with the chopped tomatoes and mint. 6. Serve and enjoy!

Details

Total time: 30 mins
Yield: Serves 4-6

Here are a few more of my favourite recipes using puy lentils:

• Mexican Puy Lentil and Sweet Potato Mole
• Puy Lentil Beet and Mozzarella Salad
• Richly Braised Lentils
• Spiced Moroccan Pate
• Vegetable and Lentil Stew