Easy dinnertime: Herby, zesty bulgur bowl

Spring is in full swing. Nourish your body with a flavour-packed bowl of confit carrots, fresh herbs and salted lemon yoghurt.

Autor: Winnie Verswijvel | 1. travnja 2026. | 3 min čitanja

Easy dinnertime: Herby, zesty bulgur bowl

Perfect for a springtime lunch or dinner, this bulgur wheat bowl is packed with flavour thanks to the abundance of fresh green herbs, vegetables and salted lemon yoghurt.

Being mindful with cooking means thinking about recipes that can be eaten over a few days or that can incorporate leftovers. In this recipe I use slow roasted confit rainbow carrots, but you can add any leftover vegetables – this would be delicious with broccoli, courgette or corn, for example. You can also eat it as a side with falafel, fish or chicken making it incredibly versatile.

By cooking the vegetables low and slow in an aromatic oil-based marinade you ensure maximum flavour. The addition of yoghurt increases the protein numbers (perfect for the gym-goers among us), while the fresh herb dressing brings a serious micronutrient punch.

To serve, you combine bulgur wheat, carrots, herb dressing and salted lemon yoghurt, but if you store each component separately in the refrigerator, you can enjoy this dish for up to four days.

Good to know: this recipe is a zero-waste recipe for multiple reasons. First, we use the greens of the carrots in the herb dressing. Second, we reuse the oil from the confit carrots as a base for the dressing. Third, we use the lemon juice out of a jar of preserved lemons. As this juice contains lots of flavour, it would be a shame to pour it away - and in this recipe it really brings out all of the other flavours.

Cooking time: 30 min (+ 60 min waiting)

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

500 g rainbow carrots (around 6), greens reserved
200 ml olive oil
200 ml water
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 preserved lemon (skin only)
150 g Greek yoghurt
150 g bulgur
200 g frozen green peas
1 cucumber
200 g radishes
5 tbsp preserved lemon juice (out of the jar)
2 tbsp mayonnaise
15 g fresh dill
15 g fresh mint
15 g fresh parsley

Steps:

1.
Preheat the oven to 150°C and defrost the peas. Trim and reserve the carrot greens. Lightly peel the carrots and place in a deep baking dish. Add olive oil, water, stock cube, salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 1½ hours, until tender but holding shape. Test with a fork.
2.
Meanwhile, make the salted lemon yoghurt. Cut the skin of the preserved lemon in very small pieces and mix the Greek yoghurt. Set aside.
3.
Cook the bulgur according to the instructions on the package (make sure to salt the boiling water). Drain and give the bulgar a quick rinse under cold running water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the defrosted peas. Cut the cucumber and the radishes in small pieces, add as well. Add the preserved lemon juice and the mayonnaise and mix everything together.
4.
Now chop the dill, mint, parsley and the carrot greens as finely as possible and mix together in a bowl (it might seem a lot, but it’s needed). Add half of the herbs to the bowl with the bulgur and mix. Add the other half to a smaller mixing bowl and add the remaining liquid from the oven dish. Taste and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5.
Divide the bulgur over plates and add some of the confit carrots on top. Spoon some of the lemon yogurt over first, followed by a bit of the herb dressing.

Tips

Swap-ins: leftover roast veg, broccoli florets, courgette coins or charred corn.
Add a pinch of chilli flakes or sumac if you like heat.
Gluten-free? Use quinoa or brown rice.
Store components separately for up to 4 days.

Cook once, eat bright all week.

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