Description
This bowl is inspired by the Toasted Bulgur Bowl in Lukas Volger’s Bowl. Original recipe can be found here. I suggest making a double batch of the dressing to make assembly of bowls on subsequent evenings a breeze: 1/2 cup tahini, 6 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup. There was no sweetener in the original dressing, but I love a teensy bit of honey or maple syrup in tahini dressings. Grains can be cooked ahead and stored in the fridge. I like to bring them to room temperature (if time permits) before serving. Also, original recipe calls for toasting the bulgur first … I’ve been feeling lazy, so I skip this step, but check out the original recipe for details.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lentils, I like the French green variety
- 1 1/2 cups coarse bulgur
- 1 to 2 cucumbers, peeled and finely diced
- 1 to 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes
- herbs such as cilantro, basil, mint, parsley, coarsely chopped if large
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- flaky sea salt and pepper to taste
- lemon wedges, for servingfor the dressing (see notes above for double batch):
- 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the lentils. Simmer until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain.
- Meanwhile, place the bulgur in a large bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover by 2 inches. Cover with a lid or plate and let stand for 10 to 20 minutes, until chewy-tender. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve. (See notes re toasting bulgur first.)
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon, garlic, cumin, salt, and honey, if using. Slowly drizzle in the water, stirring to combine. Add more water if necessary to thin to pourable consistency.
- To assemble bowls, scoop some bulgur into each bowl, spoon some lentils over top. Scatter over a handful of diced cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, and almonds. Drizzle with the lemon-tahini dressing. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges and more dressing on the side.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes