This Pomegranate Bulgur Salad with salted ricotta is a tasty light meal for a summer evening, picnic or potluck. It’s not just a very delicious and refreshing meal on a hot summer evening but it’s also a party for the eye with all the bright colours and different textures. The snow-white colour of the salted ricotta strikingly stands out in the salad against the vivid green colour of the fresh herbs, the pink-red color of the pomegranate seeds and the light green colour of the cucumber and celery. In terms of flavour, the sweetness of the pomegranates and dates contrast beautifully with the salty crumbly ricotta and the nutty bulgur. If you are not used to using ricotta in your salads, look for ricotta stagionata or ricotta insalata. It’s not the fresh one you use for desserts but a mature sheep’s milk ricotta that is salted and which you can find in the aged cheese selection. It has a light, refreshing taste, a dry, crumbly texture, but will melt in your mouth on your first bite.

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

• 1 cup bulgur (or quinoa if you eat gluten-free)
• 4 fresh dates, finely chopped
• 2 pomegranates, seeds
• 1 cucumber, cored, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• a handful of fresh mint, chopped
• a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup of ricotta stagionata (salted aged ricotta), crumbled (optional)

Date Pomegranate Vinaigrette

• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup, pomegranate juice
• 1/2 tbsp date syrup
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large saucepan, toast bulgur over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of water. Bring up to a boil, lower heat and allow to simmer until cooked,  for 18-20 minutes. Rinse and set aside to cool down.
• Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
• Add all salad ingredients, except for the ricotta, to a large salad bowl. Mix in the bulgur and sprinkle the dressing on top. Serve with crumbled ricotta stagionata.