Feta Tabbouleh with Eggplant

Bulgar wheat is a healthy change to rice, pasta and potatoes for family meals. Bulgar has already been parboiled, so it’s quick to prepare and makes an ideal pantry standby to use in salads, as well as in hot dishes. This nutty-textured, colorful salad is full of vitamins and minerals. Bulgur wheat is a good source of starchy carbohydrate, dietary fiber, and B vitamins, as it contains all the particularly nutritious outer layers of the grain except the bran itself. Bulgur is most often found in Turkish, Middle Eastern, Indian and Mediterranean dishes.

Serves 4
recipe from BBC Good Food

140g bulgar wheat
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggplants, thinly sliced length ways
410g can chickpeas, drained
140g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, chopped
100g feta, crumbled
1 large bunch of mint, leaves chopped
juice of 1 1/2 lemons

Cook bulgar according to packet instructions, then drain well. In a small bowl mix together the garilc and olive oil then use half to brush over both sides of the eggplant slices. Season and sear the eggplant slices on a hot griddle or in a frying pan for 3 minutes each side until charred and softened.

Add bulgar wheat to a large bowl with the chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, feta and mint then pour over the remaining garlicky oil and the lemon juice. Mix and season well. Pile onto plates with the eggplants.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I love all the flavors here especially the mint and garlic. I used white beans in lieu of chick peas which worked just as well. This dish is such an easy one to prepare and even easier to eat! Perfect for the BBQ crowd.