Layered houmous, tabbouleh & feta picnic bowl

This salad combines delicious meze-type dishes and a layering of several Greek and Middle Eastern-inspired flavours that marry together as they sit in the fridge

Easy Vegetarian Dish
Serves 4
Preparation time 20 mins
Cook time 15 mins

Ingredients

2 x 200g tubs houmous
400g can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
200g pack feta cheese , broken into chunks
handful pitted black olives
1 crisp Romaine heart
flatbreads , to serve

FOR THE TABBOULEH

85g bulghar wheat
80g bunch mint , leaves finely chopped
80g bunch flat-leaf parsley , leaves finely chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes , deseeded and chopped
1 red onion , finely chopped
zest and juice 1 lemon
4 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for drizzling

Method

1. First, make the tabbouleh. Tip the bulghar into a saucepan, cover with water, season with salt, then bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins until tender. Drain in a sieve, rinse under cold running water, then leave to drain over the pan. Mix the mint and parsley with the tomatoes, onion and drained bulghar. Whisk the lemon zest and juice and oil together with seasoning, then toss with the bulghar.

2. Spoon the houmous into the bottom of a portable picnic bowl or large Tupperware (or use a large plastic mixing bowl, as you can cover it tightly with cling film later). Scatter with the chickpeas, then sprinkle with seasoning and drizzle with a little oil. Spoon the tabbouleh on top. Now top with the feta and olives, then tear over the lettuce leaves.

3. Cover the bowl tightly with its lid or some cling film. Put a little more olive oil in a sealed container to take with you, then chill the salad for up to 24 hrs.

4. To eat, drizzle the olive oil over the leaves, then scoop the salad onto serving plates, making sure everyone gets a bit of each layer. Serve with the flatbreads for everyone to tear and share.

Taking to the picnic

The tabbouleh, a finely chopped salad of fresh herbs mixed with bulghar wheat, is dressed but won't spoil if you make it ahead, and because the lettuce leaves are packed on the top, they won't go soggy. Served with flatbreads, it's filling and easy - think of it as salad and sandwiches in one!

768 kcalories, protein 24g, carbohydrate 41g, fat 58 g, saturated fat 13g, fibre 9g, salt 2.85 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2009.

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