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Bulgur Salad with Spinach & Roasted Tomatoes

Robust Moroccan flavors transform a basic bulgur pilaf into a unique and hearty salad of fresh spinach, harissa roasted tomatoes and caramelized onions. You’ll practice slow-roasting tomatoes to concentrate their flavor and caramelizing onions with warm spices for a deeply savory base.

Serves 1 | Active Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours
Step 1: Roasting the Tomatoes
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp harissa
  • 1 to 2 tsp dark brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius).

Line a tray with parchment. Cut the tomatoes in half width-wise (they just look prettier this way) and place onto the tray cut-side up.

Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, harissa and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Whisk to emulsify the mixture a bit as this will help it to stick to the tomatoes better. Spoon the mixture over the tomatoes.

Transfer to the oven and slow roast for approximately 2 hours or until the tomatoes have just started to brown, shrivel and concentrate. You still want them to be a bit meaty and juicy.

Step 2: Preparing the Caramelized Onions
  • 2 large, yellow onions
  • 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
  • sea salt (to taste)
  • freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Slice the onions vertically into thin slices.

Heat a large, stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, followed by the onions and a pinch of salt.

Cook the onions until they are fairly golden brown in color, about 10 minutes or so. Add the cinnamon and brown sugar and stir to combine. Once the sugar melts and begins to caramelize, add the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 3: Making the Pilaf
  • 10 oz spinach*
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup coarse bulgur wheat
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
  • sea salt (to taste)
  • freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

First de-stem, wash and spin the spinach dry. *Note: arugula can also be used instead or you can use half spinach and half arugula.

Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Measure out and gather the rest of the ingredients and set aside.

To make the pilaf, saute the diced onions in the oil over medium heat. Once soft and translucent, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or so until aromatic. Add the bulgur wheat and toast for a few minutes to coat with the oil. Add the stock and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes or so. Once done, remove from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Step 4: Assembling the Dish
  • extra-virgin olive oil (as needed)
  • sea salt (to taste)
  • freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • yogurt (optional)

To assemble the dish, toss the spinach with a light drizzling of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place alternate layers of spinach and grains on each plate. Top with the onions and roasted tomatoes. Serve with yogurt, if you’d like.

This salad can either be served on individual plates or it can be served family-style on a big platter.

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