Bulgur salad with olives and preserved lemons

Superfood is an interesting label. Used by many people as if it were a real food category. Superfood is considered to be nutrient-rich and to be especially beneficial to your health. Examples would be seeds (are we birds?), nuts (are we squirrels? Yes, I am.) and berries in general, and dark green vegetables (which suddenly made kale very fashionable), citrus fruits, many vegetables, legumes (in particular lentils), grains and fatty fish (poor animals, let them keep their fat to themselves, please!).

But let’s be frank, it’s just a marketing tool and lots of people are literally buying it. Although it sounds great, we should be critical as many health benefits ascribed to superfoods are under scrutiny by scientific studies and the jury is still out.

Are so called superfoods healthy? Well, I presume it is certainly not unhealthy and the majority of the people consuming superfoods supposedly have a healthy diet. Consumption of superfoods is more an indication that one belongs to a subgroup of consumers who observe a healthy, modern lifestyle and for some reason fall for the perhaps (super) myth projected on this category of food.

Real superfood is clean, fair, and local, food that in the production and sales process is free of exploitation. To me that is really super!

Let’s enjoy this thought with a super summery salad.

Bulgur salad with olives and preserved lemons

Ingredients 

1 cup Bulgur (200 gr)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups vegetable stock (400 ml)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 can (14 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (400gr)

1 cup fresh coriander, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced

1 cup large green olives or Kalamata olives, pitted, roughly chopped

¼ finely chopped dried apricots

½ pound zucchini, diced

1 tablespoons chopped roasted pistachios

2 tablespoons minced preserved lemons

Lemon dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon agave nectar or pure maple syrup

½ teaspoon salt

Method

In a large saucepan, heat 2 table spoons of olive oil, toast the bulgur over medium heat, stirring constantly, until just slightly toasted, about 5 minutes.  

Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, and turn down the heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat, remove the lid, and cool while you prepare the other ingredients.

Place the chickpeas, coriander, mint, scallions, olives, apricots, zucchini, pistachios, and preserved lemon in a large mixing bowl.

Prepare the dressing: heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the shallots, and sauté for 2 minutes, or until softened and golden. Stir in the corianders, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and cayenne and fry for 30 seconds, then remove from the burner. Cool for 1 minute, then stir in the lemon juice, agave, and salt and whisk until smooth. Add the couscous to the chickpea mixture and pour the dressing over it. Stir very well to coat everything with dressing. Cover and chill salad before serving.

By the way, the salad looks super colorful and festive! Problem is for that reason it was finished before I was able to take a picture.

... but this is what it looks like ...