Red Beet Green Apple Salad

Red Beet Green Apple Salad

I don't believe there are any Turkish recipes that use raw beets. Typically in Turkish Cuisine, beets are cooked before they are added to salads or mezes. That said, when I was visiting my family in Izmir in April, one of our long time family friends, Yildiz abla made us a beet salad to die for. Simple, yet delicious, a bright colored, zesty salad made with raw beets, green apples, herbs and walnuts. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 large or two small red beet
• 1 large green apple (Granny Smith)
• ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 green onions, finely chopped (optional)
• ½ cup fine bulgur
• 1 cup boiling water
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 table spoon pomegranate paste/molasses (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few sprigs of parsley or dill for garnish

Directions:

Peel the red beet, wash and grate using the fine side of the grater. Place it in a large bowl.

Wash and grate the green apple using the coarse side of the grater. Add it to the bowl. 

Place bulgur in a separate bowl. Add boiling water to it. Stir with a spoon, let it sit for a couple of minutes allowing bulgur to soak the water in. Using a strainer, drain excess water. Add bulgur to the bowl, mix with a spoon.

Finely chop dill and parsley.  Add the herbs and chopped walnuts to the bowl. Mix gently with a spoon. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate paste (optional), salt and pepper. Stir with a spoon. Cover the bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes allowing all the flavors to come out.

Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh parsley or dill leaves.

Bon Appetit! Afiyet Olsun!

Peeled beet, green apple, dill and parsley

Finely Grated Beets

Coarsly Grated Greeen Apples

Chopped dill and parsley

Bulgur soaked in hot water

Chopped walnuts

Red Beet Green Apple Salad

 

Cauliflower Tabule Salad

Cauliflower Tabule (Tabbouleh) Salad - Karnıbahar Kısırı

Tabule (Tabbouleh) is a traditional Lebanese salad made with fine bulgur, finely chopped herbs, seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice. Turkish version, called “Kısır”, has less green herbs, sometimes with added chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. My friend Semra suggested that I try using cauliflowers instead of bulgur. Hesitantly I gave it a try and the result was a delicious salad with less calories and no gluten.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Tabule Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cauliflowers
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few sprigs of mint for garnish

Directions:

Remove cauliflower florets from the cauliflower head, discarding the stems. Wash and drain. Place in a food processor and chop until florets turn into small particles. Place cauliflower in a large bowl.

Finely chop all herbs. Cut tomatoes into small pieces. Add all into the bowl. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Mix well with a spoon. Cover the bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator allowing flavors to mix. 

Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Bon Appetit! Afiyet Olsun!

Finely Chopped Cauliflowers

Finely Chopped Herbs

Chopped Tomatoes

All ingredients mixed

Cauliflower Tabule Salad