This delicata squash and lime bulgur salad brings the best flavours from the end of summer and beginning of fall together. A tangy lime dressing with a hint of natural sweetness from maple syrup brings everything together, complimenting the bulgur wheat, sweet squash, and fresh herbs.

What is it about seasonal change that is so emotional?

This hunch seems especially true for fall, but especially pertinent in my little nook of Canada. Another 6-7 months of briskness is coming. The booties have been dusted off and wooly scarves have cozied around my neck on more than one occasion already. We seem to brace ourselves and turn into each other so readily. The community feels strong wherever cold winds sweep through and my dwelling spaces have been no exception.

I heard a rustle of slowly decaying leaves from the apple tree in the middle of our garden at dusk and I swear it was fraught with emotive… like, vibrational THINGS. You know?! The fallen fruits laying in the dampness, some rotting and sunk in, kind of threw me. I was taken aback by the whole scene. Strange beauty in the cool mud before dark.

Mark and I were in Montreal a couple weekends ago and passing by an old church in the morning hours, I could hear the choir of voices inside just slightly muffled by ages-old bricks and mortar, the congregation’s joy barely contained. I felt like my chest would explode, just walking on by.

I’ve been laughing harder too. So many things giving me that riot of hearty laughs where the sides of your eyes are all misty wet and crinkled from the inability to contain that big, smiling mouth. Just one little gesture or phrase from Mark and I’m senseless with that gasping-for-air-kind of laugh, face blindly pointed to the sky trying to catch a moment, a breath, only to fall into it again.

Needless to say I’m drinking this atmospheric goodness up fairly greedily. That lushness seems abundant all around. I’m gently savoring it in some ways; the slower sipping of morning coffee, lingering over a book or magazine in a warm spot of the house, craving anything that can possibly be roasted or caramelized… In other ways, I’m much more eager to get my fill with a sense of haste; spontaneous road trips, all kinds of indulgence, permitting myself some laziness on a whim. It’s all keeping me in the moment.

My appetite has been pretty strong through all of this, as per usual. I wanted to make something that would serve as a very complete side dish at dinner that could gracefully turn into a perfect lunch addition for a few days longer. Leftovers. I wanted some damn good leftovers to eliminate any  doubt around lunchtime for a bit. We had some gorgeous delicata squash forming in the garden, one of my favourites.

I started thinking about a sort-of tabbouleh salad with roasted squash and super sweet, sun-ripened tomatoes, barely clinging to the dried up vines at this point. Lots of herbs and citrus in the form of a whole lime vinaigrette is in the mix, an awesome technique I’m borrowing from Brooklyn Supper. You get the acidity of the juice and all the fragrance of the zest in a couple little blitzes of the blender. It’s the perfect accompaniment to sweet, roast-y squash, cracked wheat and a bounty of parsley and mint. This comes together so easily once you get the squash roasting, which is completely by design. I wanted to leave you with plenty of time to fill your heart up with the excitement of change and coziness :)

Delicata Squash & Lime Bulgur Salad

Delicata squash and lime bulgur salad is a refreshing and unique way to enjoy seasonal squash. This grain salad is tangy and loaded with herbs.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 medium delicata squash, split in half lengthwise and seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup dry bulgur
• 5 small-medium tomatoes, chopped
• 8 sprigs flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 8 sprigs mint leaves, chopped

Vinaigrette

• ½ teaspoon lime zest
• 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup water
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Equipment

• Blender

Notes

• Make sure you let the cooked bulgur cool down completely before tossing it with all of the other ingredients to avoid major grain-clumping.
• Feel free to use quinoa or millet for a very similar gluten-free option too.

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice the delicata halves crosswise into 1/2 inch thick half moons. Toss them with the 2 tbsp grapeseed oil, ground coriander, salt and pepper. Arrange on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes or until squash is tender and lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool.
• While squash is roasting, combine bulgur and 1.5 cups water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Add a drizzle of oil and stir it around at this point to prevent clumping.
• Combine the chopped tomatoes, parsley, mint, roasted squash and cooked bulgur in a large bowl.
• Make the vinaigrette: Combine the lime zest, lime juice, garlic clove, water, oil, salt and pepper in a blender pitcher. Blend on medium-high speed until lime is liquified and you have a creamy, homogenous mix. Taste for seasoning.
• Pour vinaigrette over vegetables and bulgur. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Author: Laura Wright

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: agave nectar, bulgur, coriander, delicata squash, fall, garlic, heirloom tomatoes, lime, maple syrup, mint, olive oil, parsley, summer, tomatoes, wheat