Cashew Tabbouleh

Name: Cashew Tabbouleh
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Bulgur 1 ½ cup; Cashews 3.5 oz; Water 2 cups; Yellow peppers 0.7 cup; Zucchini 0.8 cup; Eggplant 1 ¼ cup; Baby carrots 3.5 oz; Basil 2 cups; Cashews 1.1 oz; Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp; Garlic 1 clove; Fine salt to taste; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 0.7 oz

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serving: 4

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PRESENTATION

Cashew Tabbouleh is a cold, make-ahead riff on the Middle Eastern classic, built around the contrast between crunchy cashews and the creamy pull of homemade basil pesto. Colorful, light, and easy to pull together without much time at the stove, it works as a complete meal — the kind of thing you prep in the morning and pull from the refrigerator at lunch, fully ready to serve.

The cashews carry the dish texturally, delivering a crunch that keeps every forkful from feeling samey. Homemade basil pesto brings a rich, herb-forward creaminess that ties naturally into the grain and seasonal vegetables — together making this a brighter, sharper alternative to classic rice salad with the same staying power as a single-course summer lunch.

INGREDIENTS

Bulgur 1 ½ cup (250 g)

Cashews 3.5 oz (100 g)

Water 2 cups (500 ml)

Yellow peppers 0.7 cup (100 g)

Zucchini 0.8 cup (100 g)

Eggplant 1 ¼ cup (100 g)

Baby carrots 3.5 oz (100 g)

For the cashew pesto: Basil 2 cups (50 g); Cashews 1.1 oz (30 g); Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp (30 ml); Garlic 1 clove; Fine salt to taste; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 0.7 oz (20 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Cashew Tabbouleh

To prepare the cashew tabbouleh, start with the bulgur: bring a pot of about 500 ml (about 2 1/8 cups) of water to a boil and add salt 1. Pour in the bulgur 2 and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and let it absorb all the liquid 3.

Prepare the pesto by blending the cashews 4, Parmesan 5 and garlic 6 in a food processor until you obtain a sandy mixture.

Then add the basil 7 and the oil 8, blending for a few seconds until you get a smooth cream 9. Set the pesto aside.

Peel the eggplant 10 and cut it into chunks 11. Remove the central part of the zucchinis 12.

Cut them on the diagonal into diamond shapes 13. Do the same with the baby carrots 14. Finally, peel the bell peppers 15.

Also cut these into diamond shapes 16. In a skillet heat a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, add the eggplant 17, season with salt 18 and cook for 5 minutes.

Once softened, add the zucchinis, carrots and bell peppers 19. Let them simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat. Turn off the heat and add the rehydrated bulgur 20. Stir to season 21.