This Grilled Courgette and Bulgur Wheat Salad tastes delicious both warm or cold. Cook the courgette over coals for a beautiful char before serving with a fresh and zesty lemon and mint dressing.

Fire up the BBQ

When spring turns to summer, people every where fire up the barbecue and eating outdoors. I love cooking over coals. The smokey, char you get when cooking on the barbecue is so difficult to replicate in the kitchen.

When most people think about barbecues they immediately think of meat and fish. From lamb kofta, to beef burgers, tuna steaks and sausages. You may get a corn on the cob, or a vegetable skewer. But often vegetable side dishes and salads are an afterthought and rarely the star of the show.

I am often the "bringer of salad" to a barbecue. I crave something green on the side of my plate. But a simple green salad is likely to go limp, and the lettuce tends to get pushed around the plate. One leaf might make its way into a burger bun if its lucky.

With that in mind I’ve started making a conscious effort to serve up more exciting salads when cooking up a storm around a BBQ.

Bulgur wheat

Bulgur wheat might not seem like the obvious choice for this recipe. Pasta, rice and cous cous are much more common in salads in the UK. It's a popular ingredient in the Middle East - perhaps you know it as a key ingredient in tabbouleh.

I love bulgur wheat because it's pretty quick to make. Simply add stock and simmer for 15 minutes or until it has absorbed all of the liquid. Once cooked it has the texture of something between cous cous and quinoa. It's soft, but still with a little bit of bite. But it's not just a delicious, versatile ingredient. It's also good for you and slightly lower in calories than other whole grains like brown rice and quinoa.

Cooked bulgur wheat will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days so you can always make it ahead of time.

Grilled courgette and baby leeks

In this recipe, fluffy bulgur wheat is topped with grilled courgette and baby leeks. Simply cut ribbons of courgette using a vegetable peeler, brush them with olive oil and place them directly on to the BBQ grill. For the baby leeks, simply cut them in half, brush with olive oil and grill.

I love making this on the BBQ but you can make it all year round by heating a griddle pan on high.

Whichever method you choose, the courgette will only take 2 - 3 minutes to cook. The leeks will take up to 5 minutes but they will be worth the "wait".

Don't be tempted to move them. Just let them sit on the grill and they will get those beautiful brown char marks. These aren't just pretty they add flavour too!

Lemon and mint dressing

To finish off the dish, whisk together a simple lemon and mint dressing. It's zesty and refreshing. The perfect flavour combination for a light summer salad.

Grilled Courgette and Bulgur Wheat Salad

The recipe

Grilled Courgette and Bulgur Wheat Salad

This Grilled Courgette and Bulgur Wheat Salad tastes delicious both warm or cold. Cook the courgette over coals for a beautiful char before serving with a fresh and zesty lemon and mint dressing.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings people

Calories 255.69 kcal

Ingredients

180 g bulgur wheat
400 ml vegetable stock
4 baby leeks
2 courgettes
1 lemon
2 tablespoon olive oil
0.5 teaspoon rock salt
0.5 teaspoon cracked black pepper
4 leaves mint

Instructions

Add the bulgur wheat and vegetable stock a pan. Bring it to the boil and then let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the bulgur wheat has absorbed the liquid and it is cooked through.
Cut the baby leeks in half length-ways and brush with a little olive oil. Place them directly on to a hot BBQ grill or griddle pan and cook for 5 minutes. Place to one side while you cook the courgette.
Using a vegetable peeler, create ribbons of courgette. Brush with olive oil and grill for 2-3 minutes or until soft and charred. You will need to do this in batches.
Drain any excess liquid from the bulgur wheat and spoon into a serving dish. Top with the grilled baby leeks and courgette ribbons.
Finally, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Drizzle the dressing over the dish and finish with the mint leaves, finely sliced.

Nutrition

Calories: 255.69kcalCarbohydrates: 43.42gProtein: 7.28gFat: 8.04gSaturated Fat: 1.18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.13gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.2gSodium: 710.12mgPotassium: 510.08mgFiber: 10.33gSugar: 4.79gVitamin A: 689.2IUVitamin C: 33.79mgCalcium: 49.37mgIron: 2.04mg

Keyword baby leeks, bulgur wheat, courgette, garlic, leek, lemon, mint, olive oil

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What to serve with Grilled Courgette and Bulgur Wheat Salad

This salad goes quite well with a whole range of BBQ options – sausages and burgers as well as fish will all feel at home next to this salad. The flavours are quite simple but seriously tasty and the olive oil gives the dish a rounded, warming taste of summer that compliments almost anything it’s served alongside. Check out these recipes:

Make it ahead

You can enjoy this salad warm or cold. But, if you're cooking for a bunch of carnivores then I like to make a point of showing them how the courgette for the salad is prepared. That way they feel like it’s just another treat off the BBQ!