Braised Cauliflower and Puy Lentil Tabouleh

Lee Watson

Tabouleh is a proper southern Med classic. Combined with great olive oil and sweet roasted cauliflower it makes a substantial salad.

Gluten-free option: replace the bulgar wheat with millet.

100g Puy lentils
1 bay leaf
220g bulgur wheat, rinsed in cold water
450ml boiling water or veg stock
1 small cauliflower, cut into small florets, roughly 2cm in size, stalks finely diced (waste nothing!)
large pinch of ground cumin
large pinch of ground coriander
large pinch of sweet paprika
large pinch of ground turmeric
small pinch of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 spring onions, finely chopped
½ a cucumber deseeded
finely diced 2 ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
1 tablespoon great olive oil
½ a handful of dried apricots, soaked for 2 hours, then drained and finely chopped
a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ a handful of fresh mint leaves,
finely chopped seeds from 1 small pomegranate
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 x pomegranate dressing
For the garnish:
4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
a handful of chopped fresh parsley and mint

Serves 4 – 6.

Put the lentils into a pan and cover with water. Leave for 5 minutes, then pick out any floating lentils. Drain, cover with fresh water, and add the bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring and checking the water level (add more if needed). The lentils should be springy, but cooked. Drain if necessary, though there should be very little liquid left.

Put the bulgur wheat into a large bowl and pour over the boiling water or stock, enough to cover it by about 2cm. Tightly cover and leave for 30 minutes. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and cool.

In a frying pan, heat the oil on a high heat, then add the cauliflower and begin to fry. Stir regularly and cook for 10–12 minutes. Once the cauliflower has softened and the edges are slightly charred, sprinkle over the ground spices and salt and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring well. Cover and leave to cool. The cauliflower should be nicely coated with the spices.Make the pomegranate.

dressing. Add three-quarters of the lentils to the bulgur wheat, along with the cauliflower, herbs and the rest of the ingredients, then pour over the dressing and mix gently together with your hands until well combined.

Place in a wide, shallow serving bowl and spread out evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining lentils and garnish with pomegranate seeds and herbs.

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