Beet, bean and bulghur salad

Much of the pleasure of this salad is in the contrast of textures — chewy bulghur wheat, crispy beans, juicy beets.

Adding a hard-boiled egg makes it more of a meal…

Beet, bean and bulghur salad
(serves 4)

• juice of half a lemon
• 2 Tb cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• a generous grind of black pepper
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 2 medium beets – cooked, peeled and diced
• 1 cup (225g) bulghur wheat
• 400g green (or wax) beans, topped and tailed
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped (plus a bit extra to garnish)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted in a dry frying pan
• 4 hard-boiled eggs (optional)

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper and sunflower oil to make a dressing.
2. In a serving bowl, toss the dressing with the diced beets and set aside.
3. Rinse the bulghur wheat in a sieve, then transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pour over the boiling water, then cover and leave to swell for twenty minutes.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the beans for a couple of minutes, shock in cold water, drain and pat dry. Cut into thirds.
5. Add the bulghur wheat, beans, dill, and sunflower seeds to the beets and toss to combine.
6. Garnish with remaining dill (and slices of hard-boiled egg) if desired.

Tags: beets, bulghur wheat, dairy-free, dill, green beans, vegetarian