This summer we went to visit my wife Cinzia’s relatives in Viserba, a seaside resort on the Adriatic, near Rimini and Riccione.

Today I want to make the bulgur salad, a vegan salad that I found particularly good and easy to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups. Medium Bulgur.
1 cup. White or red Quinoa.
1 cup. Red Rice.
3 spoons. Olive Oil.
1.5 cups. Green Spanish Olives.
1.5 cups. Sun Drie tomato.
Origano
Salt
If you like you can add capers.

PREPARATION:

Bulgur is a typical ingredient of Middle Eastern cuisine that is obtained from the processing of whole durum wheat. It is an excellent source of iron, vitamin B, manganese and magnesium; in addition, it is rich in fiber. If you want bulgur to become soft like rice, the best option is to boil it.
Let’s start with the cooking of bulgur ① is really very simple: it must be cooked in double its volume of water (for 2 cups of bulgur – 4 cups of water) ②, slightly salted to taste, for about 10-15 minutes (until it is completely absorbed. ) and left to rest for another 10 minutes, then shell it with a fork, as is done with couscous.

Now let’s prepare red rice, one of the most popular varieties of wholemeal rice for its organoleptic and even healthful qualities. It is in fact rich in minerals, such as magnesium and iron, but it is also a source of fiber and antioxidants, plus it also seems to be a good ally in the diet for those suffering from diabetes, as it affects blood sugar less.
Passing the rice several times in the water ③ before cooking eliminates excess starch and makes the grains soft and light, limiting the risk of obtaining a sticky consistency. However, rice should never be washed when we prepare a risotto.
In a saucepan we put water to boil, the ratio between water and rice should be approximately 1.5: 1 (for one cup of rice, add 1.5 cups of water), although we can reduce the amount of liquid if we want a drier rice. When boiling add the salt and then the rice, lowering the heat and covering, letting it cook for about three quarters of an hour, stirring occasionally. Or you can use a Rice Cooker ④, using the same program for brown rice.

Once the rice has been prepared, now it’s the quinoa’s turn. Let’s start by saying that quinoa is a food widely used in vegetarian and vegan cuisine, because it is truly versatile, delicious in salads, soups and to prepare burgers and meatballs, it will give a unique flavor even to your desserts. We remind you that quinoa is a gluten-free food, it belongs, in fact, to the spinach and beetroot family, and is therefore also suitable for intolerant people. Let’s see together how to cook. Quinoa grains – of any variety – are covered with a bitter substance, called saponin, which in nature serves to protect them from birds but which is harmless to humans. For this reason, before each preparation, it is still a good idea to thoroughly rinse the seeds under running water ⑤, until the water is clear to eliminate the bitter taste. Then arm yourself with a tightly meshed sieve and a little patience, stirring constantly: after 4/5 minutes, the quinoa will be ready for cooking. If you were to cook it without rinsing it, however, don’t worry.

Cooking:
Quinoa must always be eaten after cooking; the most common method involves boiling quinoa in water or vegetable broth. We then proceed to cooking in the pot: pour one part of quinoa (for 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water) and two of water ⑥ or broth, bring everything to a boil and let it cook, with a lid for 10 minutes ⑦ and without a lid for the last 5. .

We take the sun dried tomatoes and cut them into cubes, mince them, and we will do the same with the olives.

Now we take all the ingredients that will be lukewarm, put them in a baking dish, and mix everything: the red rice, the bulgur, the quinoa, the sun dried tomato, the olives, a pinch of oregano, the salt and the capers if you like them.

Bring to the table and serve.