Golden Bulgur Wheat Salad

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Warm salads

This salad originally formed part of a series of warm salads. The aim was to produce recipes to help you stay healthy while the dark nights close in and the air becomes crisp.

This Golden Bulgur Wheat Salad spicy salad is filling, super tasty, and jam packed with nutritious veggies. Served warm and tossed with baby leaves, this recipe is perfect as we move into autumn. As Halloween creeps up, you may also want to swap the butternut squash with pumpkin!

Cooking with bulgar wheat

Bulgur wheat was a bit of a mystery to me before I came up with this recipe. It’s very similar to cous cous, but is more substantial in size, texture and flavour which makes it a perfect addition to this salad.

The good news is that bulgur wheat is quick and easy to make. All you need to do is add stock and simmer for 15 minutes or so until the bulgur wheat has absorbed the liquid. Once it is cooked it will have the texture of something in between cous cous and quinoa. It is soft, but with a little bit of bite. But it’s not just a delicious, versatile ingredient it is also good for you! Bulgur wheat is slightly lower in calories than other whole grains like brown rice and quinoa.

Once cooked, bulgur wheat will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days (as can the roasted veggies( so you can always make this Golden Bulgur Wheat Salad ahead of time and enjoy it throughout the week.

Tips for roasting veggies

The longer the vegetables are roasted the sweeter they become, contrasting with the chilli and spinach. This recipe uses squash, peppers and fennel but you can use any vegetables you like. These are my top tips for getting perfectly roasted vegetables every time.

Consider the texture and sizes of your veggies

Not all vegetables are created equal – they come in all different shapes, sizes and textures. You need to consider this when roasting.

Either cut them all to similar size or add softer, more delicate vegetables towards the end of the roasting time to ensure they don’t burn or shrivel up entirely.

Be generous with the oil

Although you might be worried about adding extra calories to the dish, oil is essential for roasting vegetables.

Toss them with any oil of your choosing that can withstand the heat of the oven. (I use olive oil or sunflower oil). You need to use enough to give the vegetables a thin, glossy coating, but not so much that they are swimming in it. A good guide is to start with a tablespoon and add a spoon more if needed.

The reason we need oil is because it helps the vegetables cook more evenly and gives them crispy, caramelised edges. It also adds a richness of flavour.

Season well

All food needs seasoning, that’s just a fact. Don’t forget to season your vegetables well with both salt and pepper before roasting.

In this recipe we also use paprika and chilli for some extra warming spice!

Give them plenty of room

Once you’ve added them to your oven tray, make sure the vegetables have enough room around them. They shouldn’t be stacked on top of each other or overlapping.

If they are too crowded they will steam rather than roast which means you will have softer, soggy vegetables with no crisp edges.

Don’t forget to pre-heat your oven!

This recipe does take some time to make as the vegetables require 45 mins or so to roast. Don’t forget to pre-heat your oven before they go in otherwise they will take even longer to cook.

The recipe