Aubergine, cauliflower, tomato & bulgur salad

The sun is out and it actually feels warm today, which is lovely, so I thought I would share this salad to celebrate! I’ve roasted all the veggies to get the best flavour out of them and made a vegan rose harissa yoghurt dressing to add a little creaminess and spice. The bulgur makes the salad more substantial, but you could leave it out if you’re planning to eat the salad as a side with a different type of carbohydrate.

Once a week (ideally on a Sunday) I try to make a large salad or warm dish that I can keep in the fridge, so I have an instant healthy option to eat when I’m in a rush or don’t feel like cooking. It also means that I’ve got a few quick, tasty lunches to grab and sit in the sunshine for a few minutes longer.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 aubergine, 2cm cubes

• 1 cauliflower, small florets

• 200g cherry tomatoes

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• 200g bulgur wheat

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained well

• 120g coconut yoghurt (Coconut Collab)

• 4 tsp rose harissa (Belazu)

• 1 tbsp tahini (Belazu)

• ½ lemon

• sea salt (quantities in recipe)

• A handful of coriander leaves (optional)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc. Put the cauliflower onto a large tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the ground spices and a pinch of salt. Put the aubergine and tomatoes onto another tray, separate them into two halves as the juices will stop the aubergine from browning.

• Place both trays in the oven, aubergine tray at the top, cauliflower in the middle. Roast for 10 minutes then turn and put back in for another 10.

• Remove the aubergine and move the cauliflower to the top shelf and roast for a further 5 minutes then set aside.

• While the veggies are in the oven, cook the bulgur according to the packet instructions. I usually rinse with cold water, then simmer for 10 minutes.

• Drain the bulgur and rinse with cold water to prevent it from cooking anymore. Allow to drain thoroughly and then put back in the pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, plus juice of ¼ lemon and a pinch of salt. Mix well.

• When you’ve finished cooking the veggies, roast the chickpeas. Tip them onto a baking tray, drizzle with little olive oil (approx 2 tsp) and sprinkle with a pinch of smoked paprika, cumin and salt. Mix well and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn and then put back in for a further 10-15 minutes. You want them to be really crunchy (slightly browned) or when they cool they’ll go chewy, not crisp.

• Make the dressing while the chickpeas are crisping up. Put the yoghurt, rose harissa, tahini, juice of ¼ lemon and ¼ tsp sea salt into a bowl and mix well. Add 1 tbsp of water to loosen the dressing.

• To serve, layer the salad with a spoon of bulgur, a mix of the vegetables, coriander leaves and a few spoons of dressing, repeat.

• Finish with a few spoons of dressing, coriander and crispy chickpeas.

tip

• Switch the coconut yoghurt for plain / Greek

• Leave out the coriander if you hate it!

• You don’t have to use the brands I have recommended in the ingredients, but they are the products I think are particularly good quality.