Miss 7 is a strange child, in that she – who is the least adventurous eater in our family – has a weird obsession with Brussels sprouts. Hubby and I are more than happy to cook and eat them (as long as they’re sauteed not boiled, because boiled sprouts are sad and awful), but poor Master 10 is a lot less enthusiastic about them.
As such I went on a quest to find fun ways to serve this poor, misunderstood vegetable, and as always, Taste.com.au came to the rescue – this time, with this awesome salad.
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t love when salads (or anything, really) are drowning with oil. I appreciate the health benefits of a good quality virgin olive oil, but I still don’t love the taste or texture of super oily food. And the husband doesn’t like couscous, so as always, I’ve changed things to meet my family’s needs and preferences, and urge you to do the same (so, add the extra oil if you desire). Recipes should be guidelines, not gospel. Unless we’re baking. Then, I’m too scared to stray too far!
As the recipe on this blog stands, you end up with a very generous side dish for 72 calories. I like to serve it with a dice barbecued or grilled meat (such as the pictured honey mustard lamb) and some steamed potatoes for a simple dinner, but a serve of the salad mixed with a tin of tuna makes for an incredibly healthy and yummy lunch on a busy work day, too. It should keep in an air tight container until at least the next day – I’ve never had any left over past that!
Serves 4-5
Ingredients
1/2 cup bulgur wheat
1/2 cup boiling water
1tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
200g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Lebanese cucumber, finely diced
2tbs lemon juice
Method
- Place wheat in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes. Liquid will have been completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork to separate grains and allow to cool completely.
- Combine wheat, herbs, Brussels sprouts, tomato and cucumber in a large bowl.
- Combine lemon juice and oil and evenly pour over salad. Mix well and serve.
