Green beans, bulgur, feta and pomegranate with sunflower seed dressing

Portion size: Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min
Difficulty: easy

Recipe by: Claire Thomson

Tender green beans, filling bulgur wheat, sharp pomegranate and creamy feta join forces in this filling summer salad from food writer Claire Thomson.

Claire says: “Bulgur wheat is easy to cook and incredibly versatile: casual handfuls of chewy cooked bulgur give salads extra heft; it sinks and swells in a flavoursome soup; and it brings extra texture to a pilaf. Use bulgur to stuff vegetables, too, or serve as a substitute for rice.”

Recipe taken from The Veggie Family Cookbook by Claire Thomson (Quadrille £30) and tested by delicious.

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Ingredients

400g green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
150g bulgur wheat
2 tbsp olive oil
200g feta, crumbled
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
Small bunch dill, finely chopped

For the dressing

3 tbsp olive oil
50g sunflower seeds
1 tbsp runny honey
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
Large pinch ground cinnamon
1 tsp sumac
1 garlic clove, crushed

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Method

Cook the green beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes or until tender but still with a slight crunch. Drain and immediately transfer to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, drain again and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the bulgur wheat according to the packet instructions. Drain any excess water, dress with the 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Leave to cool to room temperature.
To make the dressing, heat the 3 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat and add the sunflower seeds. Cook for 30-60 seconds until they become fragrant and lightly browned, then tip into a bowl. Stir in the honey, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, sumac and garlic, then season with salt and pepper.
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Top the cooked bulgur wheat with the green beans, feta and pomegranate seeds, then pour over the dressing and finish with the chopped dill.