TELEPAN'S BEET AND BULGUR SALAD

Telepan's Beet and Bulgur Salad image

Most bulgur salads I've met follow the tabbouleh model. They are either predominantly tan in color, or predominantly green, depending upon whether the grain or the parsley is emphasized in the recipe. This bulgur salad, a recipe from the chef Bill Telepan at Telepan restaurant on the Upper West Side, is exuberantly different. Instead of softening the bulgur in boiling water, his recipe calls for homemade beet broth. And instead of parsley, scallions and tomatoes, puréed beets add vegetable matter to the mix. It's an earthy, bright and dazzlingly fuchsia take on the familiar salad, as palate-pleasing as it is eye-catching.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories salads and dressings

Time 1h15m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

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Ingredients

1/2 pound beets
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more as needed
Black pepper, as needed
1 cup medium bulgur wheat
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons chopped dill
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Steps:

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place beets in a baking pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, a couple of tablespoons water and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cover beets with heavy foil and bake until tender when pierced with a knife, 25 to 30 minutes if small, 30 to 45 minutes if medium-sized, 45 to 60 minutes if large. Let beets cool, then peel and dice.
Place bulgur in a large bowl. In a medium pot, combine 2 cups water with beets. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Strain beets, reserving liquid. Measure out 11/2 cups liquid and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour over bulgur. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit until liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour.
Transfer beets to a blender. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard and a large pinch each salt and pepper. Whisk in remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and the canola oil; add more salt and pepper if needed. Pour dressing over beets and pulse until mixture forms a coarse purée. Add half the beet vinaigrette to bulgur and toss well. If bulgur seems dry, add a little more dressing, to taste. Toss in parsley and dill and more salt and pepper if needed. Serve at once or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 334, UnsaturatedFat 23 grams, Carbohydrate 22 grams, Fat 27 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 129 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams