Bulgur salad with cumin beetroot and za’atar goat’s cheese

Name: Bulgur salad with cumin beetroot and za’atar goat’s cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Israeli and Mediterranean
Ingredients: 250 g Plain cooked beetroot, vacuum-packed (drained weight, plain vacuum-packed cooked beetroot, half a pack); 150 g Kosher fresh goat’s cheese (a firm 150 g log or round of fresh goat’s cheese, not spreadable cheese in a tub; 75 g per person); 120 g Fine bulgur wheat (dry weight, fine bulgur (בורגול דק)); 140 g Water (140 ml boiling water); 25 g Walnut kernels (1 small handful of walnut kernels); 35 g Extra virgin olive oil (3½ tbsp: 10 g for the beetroot, 25 g for the bulgur); 75 g Lemon (2/3 lemon, about 30 g juice (2 tbsp): 10 g for the beetroot, 20 g for the onion and bulgur); 10 g Pomegranate molasses (1/2 tbsp); 5 g Garlic (1 clove); 2 g Ground cumin (1/2 heaped tsp); 4 g Za'atar (hyssop, sumac and sesame blend) (1/2 tbsp, or 3 g sumac); 20 g Flat-leaf parsley (1/5 bunch, leaves and fine stems, washed, checked and dried); 10 g Fresh mint (1/5 bunch, leaves only, washed, checked and dried); 25 g Red onions (1/4 small onion); 4 g Fine salt (2 g in the bulgur water, 1.5 g for the beetroot, 1 pinch (0.5 g) for the onion); 0.5 g Ground black pepper (2 pinches)

dairy light lunch · Israeli and Mediterranean · 1/5 · very easy · 30 min, including 20 hands-on

A Tel Aviv café salad: fine bulgur with herbs and pomegranate molasses, beetroot marinated with garlic, cumin and lemon as in Tunisian kemia, fresh goat’s cheese rolled in za’atar, and toasted walnuts.

Ingredients for two

250 g	Plain cooked beetroot, vacuum-packed drained weight, plain vacuum-packed cooked beetroot, half a pack
150 g	Kosher fresh goat’s cheese a firm 150 g log or round of fresh goat’s cheese, not spreadable cheese in a tub; 75 g per person
120 g	Fine bulgur wheat dry weight, fine bulgur (בורגול דק)
140 g	Water 140 ml boiling water
25 g	Walnut kernels 1 small handful of walnut kernels
35 g	Extra virgin olive oil 3½ tbsp: 10 g for the beetroot, 25 g for the bulgur
75 g	Lemon 2/3 lemon, about 30 g juice (2 tbsp): 10 g for the beetroot, 20 g for the onion and bulgur
10 g	Pomegranate molasses 1/2 tbsp
5 g	Garlic 1 clove
2 g	Ground cumin 1/2 heaped tsp
4 g	Za'atar (hyssop, sumac and sesame blend) 1/2 tbsp, or 3 g sumac
20 g	Flat-leaf parsley 1/5 bunch, leaves and fine stems, washed, checked and dried
10 g	Fresh mint 1/5 bunch, leaves only, washed, checked and dried
25 g	Red onions 1/4 small onion
4 g	Fine salt 2 g in the bulgur water, 1.5 g for the beetroot, 1 pinch (0.5 g) for the onion
0.5 g	Ground black pepper 2 pinches

Method

Boil 140 g water in the kettle. Put the fine bulgur in the mixing bowl with 2 g salt, pour over the boiling water, stir once and cover for 10 minutes. All the water should be absorbed, with tender, separate grains and no water at the bottom. If still firm, add 2 tbsp hot water and wait 3 minutes; no more water, or fine bulgur will become mushy.
While the bulgur swells, squeeze the lemon and strain out the pips, giving about 30 g juice. Finely chop the red onion and put in a small bowl with 20 g lemon juice and the pinch of salt: it turns pink and mellows in 10 minutes. Drain the beetroot, pat dry with kitchen paper and cut into 1.5 cm cubes. In a second bowl, toss with 1.5 g salt, the garlic crushed in a garlic press, cumin, remaining 10 g lemon juice and 10 g olive oil. Leave to marinate until assembling: it should be glossy and fragrant with cumin.
Dry-toast the walnuts in a small frying pan over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until they smell toasted and their skins barely darken. Tip onto a plate, leave to cool, then roughly chop. Finely chop the parsley, including the fine stems, and the mint leaves.
Fluff the bulgur with a fork and spread out uncovered for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Add the pomegranate molasses, pepper and 25 g olive oil to the onion bowl and whisk with a fork. Pour over the bulgur with the parsley and mint and mix. Taste: it should be well seasoned, sweet and sour and salty, as chilling mutes saltiness.
Divide the bulgur between two shallow bowls or containers. Spoon the beetroot on top without the red liquid from its bowl, so the grains do not turn pink. Cut the goat’s cheese into 8 large pieces, roll in za’atar and place on top of the beetroot last. At home, scatter with walnuts. To take away, pack the walnuts in a separate small bag and add when eating so they stay crunchy.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.

Lighter version

How the taste changes:

Rocket adds a peppery, slightly bitter note alongside a smaller amount of mild bulgur. The goat's cheese and beetroot keep their place, but the grains are less oily and the salad leaves a less rich coating in the mouth.

Fine bulgur wheat : 80 g
Water : 95 g
Extra virgin olive oil : 25 g
add Rocket 50 g (1/2 bag, washed)

In step 1, use 80 g bulgur and 95 g boiling water. In step 4, add only 15 g oil to the bulgur. In step 5, lay a bed of rocket over the bulgur before adding the beetroot. To take away, pack the rocket in a separate bag with the walnuts and add when eating so it does not wilt.

Less bulgur and 10 g less oil in it, with the same marinated beetroot; peppery rocket replaces the volume of grain.

On your plate

Recipe

732 kcal · protein 23 g · carbs 58 g · fat 42 g

Quantities per person

125 g Plain cooked beetroot, vacuum-packed
75 g Kosher fresh goat’s cheese
60 g Fine bulgur wheat
70 g Water
12.5 g Walnut kernels
17.5 g Extra virgin olive oil
37.5 g Lemon
5 g Pomegranate molasses
2.5 g Garlic
1 g Ground cumin
2 g Za'atar (hyssop, sumac and sesame blend)
10 g Flat-leaf parsley
5 g Fresh mint
12.5 g Red onions
2 g Fine salt
0.25 g Ground black pepper

Cooking tips

To take away, leave the open containers to cool for 15 minutes, then close and refrigerate; add the goat’s cheese last, just before closing, and keep the walnuts separate. Eat cold or at room temperature within 24 hours. Sumac can replace za’atar on the cheese for a sharper flavour. Choose plain ready-cooked beetroot without vinegar: the marinade provides its flavour.

Equipment : kettle, mixing bowl with a lid, 2 bowls, small frying pan, garlic press, kitchen paper

An Israeli café salad with bulgur, beetroot, goat’s cheese, walnuts and herbs; the garlic and cumin beetroot recalls the beetroot salad of Tunisian kemia.

Bulgur salad with cumin beetroot and za’atar goat’s cheese

Method

Timer

On your plate

Recipe

Cooking tips

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