Sprouts and beets are two of my favourite vegetables come this time of year! Toss in some grains, add crunch with nuts and seeds and you are in for a serious feast with this super easy winter salad.
By accident (this is usually how I create recipes and figure out kitchen techniques), I have discovered the easiest way to cook grains – no need to be watching a pot boil, trying to figure out if its simmering yet or having to add more water to the pot. If using rice in this recipe, you may need to increase the cooking time.
I’m serving this salad at the moment alongside roasted chicken breasts, smoked mackerel or with some crumbled feta over the top. You could also brown off chicken breasts and add to the vegetable mix to save the wash-up!
If you don’t have roasting tins or loaf tins use any kind of ovenproof dish or tin!
Serves 4 as a side.
- 4 whole beetroot, topped and tailed and cut into chunks
- 200g sprouts, tailed and cut in half
- 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt and pepper
- 150g bulgur wheat
- 2 tbsp nuts – pistachio, walnut or pecan
- 1 tbsp seeds – pumpkin or sunflower
- 1 tbsp dried cranberries or cherries
- 300ml hot vegetable stock
- Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F and place one large rectangular roasting tray with a loaf tin into the oven on separate shelves.
- Mix the chopped vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Scatter over the preheated oven tray and roast for 30 minutes.
- Spread the uncooked bulgur wheat, nuts and seeds over the second smaller tin or tray and roast for 10 minutes in the oven below the vegetables. Stir the mix twice over the 10 minutes to ensure an even roast.
- Add the cranberries and vegetable stock to the bulgur wheat mix. Cover with tinfoil and return to the oven for 7 minutes. Remove the bulgur wheat mix and allow to cool still covered – the grain should have plumped up and be cooked through fully.
- Once the vegetables are roasted, remove from the oven and mix the cooked bulgur wheat through.
- Serve immediately or cool fully and store in the fridge in a resealable container.
