I didn’t know how this recipe was going to turn out, but I gave it a shot anyway. This is one that Laura found online and after reading through the instructions, I knew I’d have to add a few of my own twists to things. I’m very happy that I went forth with it though because it was very good. And the vinaigrette – well, that was nothing short of utterly amazing. Trust me on this, you’ve never had anything like it.
The Recipe
This recipe includes a lot of really great ingredients that work extraordinarily well together. At first, I didn’t think the bulgur was going to integrate with many of them, but surprisingly it did. I was surprised. As a matter of fact, the bulgur was critical to the success of this recipe. It effectively soaks up much of the vinaigrette giving the entire salad a boost in flavor.
This recipe uses bulgur, kale, pecans, apple and sweet potato as the solid ingredients and butter, olive oil, chili flakes, sweet onion and coriander in the vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is different than any I’ve previously enjoyed because in this case, it’s heated in a skillet. This process contributes to the wonder of flavor that’s derived from it. It’s probably the best vinaigrette I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve tasted many.
Instructions
Serves: 6
1 1/4 Cups Dry Bulgur
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Bunch Kale, Stemmed and Sliced
1/2 Cup Pecans, Crushed
1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
3 Apples, Cored and Diced
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Ounces Gruyère, Grated
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 Sweet Onion, Diced
1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 Large Sweet Potatoes, Trimmed and Diced
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Diane G. over at HealthGuide for this recipe. Again, I was skeptical, but everything came together surprisingly well. I’m now a big fan of this salad.
Pre-Heat Oven
Arrange one oven rack so it’s in the center position. Then, pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Roast the Sweet Potatoes
Trim the ends from the sweet potatoes and cut both of the potatoes up into 3/4 inch cubes. Place the cubes into a medium sized bowl and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix well until all the cubes are coated with the oil.
When that’s finished, spread the sweet potatoes over a large baking sheet and place the sheet in the oven. Let the potatoes roast for about 30 minutes or until they form a firm skin on them. Once that’s done, turn off the heat and place the cubes in a large bowl.
Cook the Bulgur
Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the water, along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the water is boiling, add the bulgur and reduce the heat to low. Let the bulgur cook for 15 minutes.
After the bulgur is finished, spread it out on a large baking sheet to cool for about 15 minutes. When that’s done, scrape everything into a large bowl.
Prepare the Vinaigrette
Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is to temperature, add the butter and three tablespoons of olive oil to it. Let the butter melt and cook it for about one minute. After that time, add the pecans, half of the sweet onion, the coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the red pepper flakes. Continue to cook for four minutes.
Next, add half of the diced apples, the lemon juice and the apple cider vinegar, stir, and continue to cook for another two minutes.
At this point, you’re going to want to give this vinaigrette a taste. This is what I was referring to when I raved about it at the beginning of this post. Just be sure to blow on the spoon to cool it down before you put it in your mouth.
Add the Kale
Finally, add the kale to the vinaigrette in the skillet. You may need to cover the pan for a minute or so until the kale wilts down. Stir a bit and once that happens, remove the pan from the heat.
Combine Ingredients
Add the sweet potatoes, the rest of the sweet onion and the remaining apple cubes to the large bowl the bulgur is in. Stir everything together well. After that, add the cheese and the vinaigrette to the bowl as well and stir again. Everything in the bowl should be well coated with the vinaigrette.
Alternately, you can leave off the cheese and the vinaigrette and plate the bulgur and sweet potato mix and add the cheese and vinaigrette to the plates themselves. It’s up to you.
Plate & Serve
Divide the mixture in the bowl among your plates and serve. Enjoy!
The Final Bulgur & Sweet Potato Salad
This really turned out well. If you’re into making a bulk salad for a lot of people, you’ll likely want to mix everything up in the bowl as the last step. If you’re plating for a nice dinner, you can add the vinaigrette and cheese to the tops of the plates like I suggested earlier. Do whatever looks the best. Just be sure the kale is cut up into small enough pieces to distribute evenly among plates, no matter which route you choose to take.
If you do decide to give this salad a try, please let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
Sounds good. Healthy salad…yum!