Lebanese-Inspired Salad

This salad was a result of me trying to find something to do with the millions of cherry tomatoes that are growing in our yard at the moment.

We also have a ton of mint and parsley which is why I opted for a Lebanese-style salad. I added the buckwheat and pine nuts to give it a bit of bulk and the result made a delicious lunch served with hummus and toasted pita bread.

By Angela Stafford October 3, 2013

This salad was a result of me trying to find something to do with the millions of cherry tomatoes that are growing in our yard at the moment.

Ingredients

1/2 cup buckwheat
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup pinenuts
500g fresh tomatoes - diced
2 small or 1 large Lebanese cucumbers - diced
1 large capsicum - any colour (we prefer the red ones)
2 tbsp finely chopped chives - (you could also use shallots)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves - continental or curley
2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
Dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sumac
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 small clove crushed garlic

Instructions

Rinse the buckwheat and strain.
In a dry frying pan, lightly toast the buckwheat. This will help it retain its shape when you cook it.
Add the buckwheat to a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and the 1/4 tsp sea salt. Bring to the boil and then reduce to low until most of the water is absorbed. This will take 10-15 minutes.
Remove from heat and leave to stand for about 10 minutes until all water is absorbed.
Meanwhile, lightly toast the pinenuts in the frying pan then leave to cool.
Prepare the remaining salad ingredients and add to a salad bowl.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
Once your buckwheat is cool, fluff with a fork and add it to the salad with the pine nuts and dressing.
Mix well and serve.