Bulgur wheat summer salad

THIS really does look and taste like summer on a plate. This is a versatile salad and can be served with grilled fish or chicken or as a side at a barbecue. Cooking the cucumber and peppers lifts the flavours and adds an interesting dimension.

Ingredients - Makes 2 +

100g bulgur wheat – cooked 1 x 210g chickpeas

1 x pepper

¼ cucumber

Baby tomatoes

Olives

½ avocado

Handful of chopped parsley Mint leaves

Salt & black pepper

Vinaigrette

100ml olive oil

2 x lemons charred + zest & juice 2 x garlic cloves – crushed

½ tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp sugar

Method

For the vinaigrette you will need to remove the zest from the lemons. Mix this into the olive oil.

Slice the lemons in half and place into a hot pan. Cook on the flat side until a beautiful charred colour.

Allow these to cool slightly before squeezing the juice into the olive oil along with the rest of the lemon.

Add the crushed garlic, mustard and sugar, slightly whisk and allow to sit for around an hour to infuse. Pass off through a sieve and keep until ready to use.

For the salad cook the bulgur wheat, once cooked refresh in cold water and allow to drain. Roughly chop the peppers and cucumber and fry off in a pan with a small amount of oil until nicely coloured, add the tomatoes just at the end. Allow to drain on kitchen towel.

Chop the avocado (dressing in a small amount of olive oil will stop it oxidising) along with the parsley and mint.

Rinse off the chickpeas, place in a large bowl and combine everything. Add the olives, season with salt and black pepper.

Drizzle over a generous amount of your vinaigrette and serve.