Description
This layered hummus, tabbouleh, and feta picnic bowl is a vibrant, fresh, and filling Mediterranean-inspired dish perfect for outdoor lunches or casual gatherings. It combines creamy hummus, a herbaceous bulghar wheat tabbouleh, salty feta chunks, and crisp Romaine lettuce, all served with flatbreads for easy sharing. The dish can be prepared in advance, making it an ideal portable picnic option that balances bright flavors and satisfying textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad & Base
- 2 x 200g tubs houmous
- 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 200g pack feta cheese, broken into chunks
- handful pitted black olives
- 1 crisp Romaine heart
- flatbreads, to serve
Tabbouleh
- 85g bulghar wheat
- 80g bunch mint, leaves finely chopped
- 80g bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- zest and juice 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Bulghar: Place the bulghar wheat in a saucepan and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt, then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the bulghar is tender. Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Allow to drain completely over the saucepan.
- Prepare Tabbouleh: In a large bowl, combine the chopped mint and flat-leaf parsley with the chopped tomatoes, red onion, and drained bulghar. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to form the dressing, then toss it gently with the tabbouleh ingredients until well mixed.
- Assemble Base Layers: Spoon the two tubs of hummus evenly into the bottom of a portable picnic bowl or large airtight container. Scatter the rinsed chickpeas over the hummus layer. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle a little olive oil on top.
- Add Salad Layers: Spoon the prepared tabbouleh mixture evenly over the chickpeas. Top the tabbouleh with broken chunks of feta cheese and scatter the pitted black olives over the feta.
- Finish with Lettuce: Tear the crisp Romaine heart leaves into bite-size pieces and scatter them generously on top, covering the feta and olives layer completely.
- Chill and Store: Cover the bowl tightly with its lid or cling film, ensuring it is sealed well to keep fresh. Place in the refrigerator to chill for up to 24 hours before serving. For serving, take a small sealed container of extra olive oil along to drizzle over the leaves just before eating.
- Serve: At the picnic, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top lettuce leaves for added flavor. Mix and scoop portions ensuring each serving has a mix of all the layers. Serve with warm or room temperature flatbreads for tearing and sharing alongside the salad.
Notes
- The tabbouleh can be made a day in advance; its flavors will meld beautifully over time without wilting the greens below.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the bulghar wheat with cooked quinoa or gluten-free cracked wheat alternatives.
- Ensure the bulghar is well drained and cooled to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
- Use ripe, juicy tomatoes for the best tabbouleh flavor.
- This picnic bowl is best served chilled but can be brought to room temperature before eating if preferred.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: layered hummus picnic bowl, tabbouleh salad, feta cheese salad, Mediterranean picnic recipe, easy layered salad, bulghar wheat salad, vegetarian picnic food
