Two herb, Heirloom Tomato and Plum Tabouli Salad
Alrighty. This maybe your last taste of summer ingredients as we swiftly move into Autumn (although in Berlin it already feels like winter with lows of 3/5 degrees), (or it maybe your first). Gather those end of season tomatoes, those last few plums and the last stems of our beloved herbs all of which contribute to those fresh summer vibes. Serve it on a bed of delicious and speedy Tabouli salad made using our trusty friends at Freak of Nature.
Hearty or heartless?
Many people have this crazy idea that salads are made for pigeons. Better suited to the small, feathery beings that need noting more than crumbs on a daily basis. Some are but it all depends on the layers built within a salad and what elements have been used that are more substantial than just some lettuce leaves.
So what “elements” am I talking about that will take your salad from bird food to beneficial and substantial food, certainly needed to keep you going for the day? I have listed a few of my favourite salad add-ons where the ingredients are all easy available and accessible;
Vegan
chickpeas; roasted, blitz, fried or smashed
pumpkin; perfect for an autumn style salad and it’s as easy as roasting with oil, thyme and sea salt
lentils; red or yellow are the best for salads. Brown is the cheapest but better for stews. These add a lot of protein and thus will fill you up for longer
potatoes; Roast’em, fry’em, boil’em, bake’em for the perfect vegan hearty counterpart on a bed of herby salad
tofu; This is so diverse for all salad regions. You can infuse any flavours simply through the processor of marinading then cooking
sausages; vegan sausages are great and are becoming more readily available
noodles; cold noodle salads are great and perfect for meal prepping. The sauce is key…
pickled veggies; corn, carrots, gherkins, radish, onions, peppers… the list goes on.
None-vegan;
chicken; poached or roasted for a shredded element of texture and added protein
cheese; broken feta, ball of mozzarella, baby bocconcini or a good wheel of baked Camembert
seafood; grilled lobster or prawns are great for the summer and work perfectly on a bed of lettuce. Otherwise scollops or grilled calamari/octopus are also great seafood salad options. Also flaked salmon is a beautiful way of adding colour and flavour and great for Asian salads
bacon; well there is nothing more to be said here…
sausages; chuck a sussy on the barbie as we Aussie’s say.
Ok you got the gist. Salads are so much more than just plain lettuce leaves in a plain bowl. They can be a great option for an light dinner, easy lunch or maybe even a breakfast salad haha…
Tabouli
This recipe uses simple summer/Autumn ingredients with a hearty grain base. Freak of Nature supports local farmers while also supporting and giving back your time. Their aim is to provide base meals, often with only one step, using ingredients that are bio, sustainable and also delicious. Their products are 100% vegan, 100% bio, 100% made from locally sourced ingredients and 100% made from real ingredients so no additives, preservatives or “fake” vegetables (yes this is a thing). Take a look and shop their full range here where their products can be bought in boxes of 6 or individually.
For this recipe, we are using their tabouli range. All that is needed to bring their packet portion to life is 150mL of boiling water. That’s it. No extra shopping list for this base. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then whip up the raw salad ingredients for the perfect Autumn side dish, cozy dinner for two or meal prepping for the week.
Here are two other Freak of Nature based recipes that you may enjoy - Japanese Oriental Bowl with Century Eggs and Thai Veggie Curry Burger with Spiced Cucumber Relish .
Replacements
This dish doesn’t have to stay glued to the end of summer/fall ingredients. Adapt as you wish and what comes into season. A few suggestions;
Winter; Roasted pumpkin, shaved Brussel sprouts, Tuscan kale, oranges, mandarines,
Spring; peaches, nectarines, apricots, asparagus
Summer; Purple or Green kale, purple carrots, tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, figs
Autumn; pears, figs, cauliflower, cherries
You get the idea.. I just like the combination of one fruit, one veg, two herb or two fruit, one veg, one herb. Adding fruits to your salads are a perfect way to boost your fruit intake if this is something you have trouble with (like many of us out there). It also adds the sweet element without having to add sugar or honey or other syrups.
Bulgur Wheat
The most traditional form of tabouli salad is made from bulgur wheat which has been carried through into the Freak of Nature range. This style of tabouli is linked to the Lebanese tradition where they always use this grain along with a mixture of fresh herbs to create this salad.
Bulgur is a grain made from dried, cracked wheat. Durum wheat is most commonly used but you can also find other wheat varieties. In eating bulgur wheat, the whole grain is used - including germ, endosperm and bran - which is referred to as whole grain. Many other types of grains cannot be eaten as a whole grain.
The bulgur grain is parboiled to be partially cooked so the cooking time is faster than other grains like red lentils or Puy. It forms the bases of many Middle Eastern dishes as it is cheap and readily available. It also has a minimal processing time because it can be eaten as a whole grain and thus, holds more nutritional value than other wheat varieties.
It’s fibre contents is one of the key nutritional points and benefits of bulgur. To put it into perspective, in a single serving of bulgur, there is 30% of what is considered to be the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) (reference).
It is also high in manganese, magnesium and iron and much lower in calories compared with other grains like rice, quinoa or couscous. One cup of fibre also contains;
protein
folate
vitamin B6
carbohydrates
iron
magnesium
manganese
niacin
Integrating bulgur wheat into your salad not only will fill you up for longer but it will also add extra textures and flavours and adds more nutritional value than just plain lettuce leaves.
See, Freak of Nature products do more than just give time back to you rather than cooking and prepping grains. They also have your best intentions at heart so your supplied with a whole lot more nutrition and love into your food.
Two herb, Heirloom Tomato and Plum Tabouli Salad
Ingredients
1 Freak of Nature Tabouli salad mix
1 heirloom tomato, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mixed cherry tomatoes, roughy chopped
2 small plums, seed removed and chopped
1/4 cup basil leaves
1/2 handful coriander, chopped with stems
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Method
In a medium bowl, place the contents of the Freak of Nature tabouli bag and mix with 150mL of boiling water. Mix well and leave for 10 minutes to sit.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes, plums, half the basil and coriander. When I say “roughly chopped” for the tomatoes, I really do mean roughly chopped - the more rigid and random the cuts the nice it looks on a serving plater rather than keeping to all precise and exact slices.
Pour the oil over, leaving one tablespoon for serving, and season with salt and pepper. Once the 10 minutes is up, fluff with a fork and arrange on a large platter. Make a small dint in the centre by running the back of a spoon through the tabouli, length ways. Arrange the tomato and plum salad in the crater and drizzle with the remaining oil and basil leaves. Serve alongside any grilled vegetables, veggie burgers or as is with a glass of red wine for a beautiful and romantic dinner for two.
