25/07/2025
An easy vegetarian summer dinner dish. The mix of flavour is just fabulous.
Recipe by Rukmini Iyer, The Green Cookbook
Ingredients
300g bulgur wheat. I used quinoa to make it gluten free*
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed*
600ml boiling vegetable stock *
125g asparagus, sliced diagonally, woody ends trimmed
For the spiced almonds:
100g flaked almonds*
½ tablespoon olive oil*
½ teaspoon smoked paprika*
1 teaspoon brown sugar*
Good pinch sea salt*
For the dressing:
15g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
15g fresh basil or parsley leaves (or a mixture of the two), finely chopped
200g pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)
60ml extra virgin olive oil*
1 lemon, zest and juice
Couple of pinches sea salt*
* Buy from Nom Wholefoods
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6.
Tip the bulgur wheat or quinoa into a large roasting tin, then scatter over the chickpeas.
Pour over the stock, top with the asparagus, then transfer to the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
In a small, shallow baking tray, mix together the almonds, oil, smoked paprika, brown sugar and sea salt, then pop the tray alongside or on another shelf of the oven for the last 10 minutes.
While the tins are in the oven, mix the chopped herbs with the pomegranate seeds, olive oil, lemon zest and juice and sea salt flakes to make the dressing.
Fluff the bulgur wheat/quinoa through with a spoon and leave to cool for 5 minutes before stirring through the dressing. Taste and adjust the salt as needed, then serve hot, topped with the avocado, halloumi, spiced almonds and a squeeze of lemon juice.
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