Lifestyle blogger and actress Áine Carlin prides herself on making vegan cooking easy for everyone. Focusing on whole foods and fresh seasonal ingredients, the much anticipated release of her first cookbook, Keep It Vegan, a colourful array of recipe ideas and veg-spiration will be sure to leave your taste buds happy like it has ours! Now over to Áine before we make ourselves too hungry…

Bulgar wheat is often guilty of being a little bland, but this salad shows that all it requires is a little gentle coaxing to bring out its deeply nutty flavour. And whilst watermelon may seem like an odd choice in a savoury dish, it really does work fantastically well in balancing the zesty lime dressing with the spritely radish and spring onion add-ins. With summer in full swing, this is the one recipe you’ll be pulling out of your sleeve time and time again… just you wait and see.

Ingredients 

• 250g bulgar wheat
• grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• 30ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 6–8 radishes, finely sliced
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 small celery stick, finely sliced
• 1/2 watermelon, deseeded and cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 30g pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 15g mint leaves, chopped
• salt
• large handful of China Rose radish
• sprouts, to garnish (optional)

Method

• Place the bulgar wheat in a large bowl along with the lime zest. Lightly season with a little salt and stir to incorporate. Cover with 250ml of freshly boiled water and place a plate or clingfilm over the bowl. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes.

• For the dressing, whisk together the lime juice, oil, agave nectar, cider vinegar and a pinch of salt until it emulsifies. Set aside.

• When the bulgar wheat has cooled, add the radishes, spring onions and celery. Stir and pour over the dressing, stirring again to ensure everything is coated. Toss in the melon, toasted pumpkin seeds and finally the mint. Taste for seasoning and scatter over the China Rose radish sprouts, if using. Serve.

Taken from Keep it Vegan by Áine Carlin. Published by Kyle Books, priced from £14.99. Photography by Ali Allen.

HONESTLY HEALTHY BIRCHER MUESLI