Spicy Buckwheat and Mung Bean Salad

5:2 Diet, Frugal Fare, Recipes, Salad, Spicy

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Loaded with protein and yumminess, this spicy buckwheat and mung bean salad is really easy to make, and is as delicious as it is nutritious and frugal!

overhead view of two bowls of spicy buckwheat and mungbean salad on a table with some bread and tahini dressing | yumsome.com

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Know what I love about this time of year? Apart from the weather, of course. Yep, salads. Whether it's a simple Thai pomelo or sour mango salad, or something more full on, such as my roasted potato and quinoa one, salads are great! And a far cry from the ones - and I use the term, salad, very loosely - my gran (and possibly yours too!) used to serve up in the summer.

This buckwheat salad is packed with protein!

This salad came about when we were about to leave Slovenia for Romania, and I was trying to not go shopping for anything other than fresh bread, fruit, and veggies. I wanted to use up as much as possible from the freezer, back of the 'fridge, and the store cupboard, and so this salad was born! I've since made it loads of times, including for local cafés, where it has always been a huge hit.

Combining mung beans and buckwheat in a salad was a pretty phenomenal idea, if I say so myself! The two textures work so well together. Plus, of course, they are full of protein.

I also had about a quarter of a jar of sun-dried tomatoes which needed using up, plus odds and ends of tahini, wholegrain mustard, pomegranate molasses, and sesame seeds.

two blue bowls of spicy buckwheat and mungbean salad on a table with a bottle of tahini dressing | yumsome.com

Once the buckwheat and mung beans were cooked and cooled, I just added some veggies that were in the salad crisper, and dressed the whole lot with the tahini etc. The salad was finished with the sun-dried tomatoes and sesame seeds. Really simple but sooo deelish. And a definite keeper.

By the way, the stems/ribs of Chinese (napa) cabbage are brilliant in salads - they're so crunchy and refreshing. Much nicer than celery, IMO, not least because they don't give me numb tongue.

(Bonus points if you immediately pictured James T Kirk just then!)

overhead view of a blue bowl of spicy buckwheat and mungbean salad on a table | yumsome.com

Ingredients for spicy buckwheat and mung bean salad

mung beans
buckwheat groats (aka kasha / kaša)
Chinese cabbage
courgette
red pepper
spring onions
chillies
flat-leaf parsley
lambs' lettuce
sun-dried tomatoes
sesame seeds
Dressing: tahini, pomegranate molasses, wholegrain mustard, and water

How to make this salad

Cook the mung beans and buckwheat in plenty of water, then drain, rinse under cold water until cool, and place into a large mixing bowl.
While the beans and buckwheat are cooking, separate the leaves and stems of the Chinese cabbage, and cut the stems into thin slices. Place into the bowl.
Top and tail the courgette, then cut into ribbons. Add to the bowl.
De-seed and finely chop the red pepper, and add to the bowl as well.
Finely slice the spring onions, chillies, and parsley, and add these to the bowl, too, along with the lambs' lettuce.
Using your hands, gently mix everything together.
Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients, add half to the mixing bowl, and gently toss to lightly coat the salad.
Top the salad with the sun-dried tomatoes and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

Tips

As ever, how many chillies you use is up to you - the ones I use for this aren't overly hot
I use sun-dried tomatoes in oil but blot as much of the oil as possible before adding to the salad
You may not need all of the dressing; if you don't use it all, it will keep in a screw-top jar or bottle in the 'fridge for up to a month.
The salad will not keep for much longer than a couple of hours, so it's best to only make as much as you'll need for your meal.
Feel free to change the leaves - this is really a guideline!

Check out these other delicious salad recipes!

A white bowl of loaded potato salad, surrounded by herbs and vegetables on a white table. — **LOADED POTATO SALAD**

Panzanella is the epitome of spring and summer. It's super-easy to make, and is a great way to use up stale bread. | yumsome.com — **LOADED POTATO SALAD**

You'll love this Spicy Buckwheat and Mung Bean Salad

Because it's...

simple to make
full of protein, fibre, Vitamins A & C, and Iron
gluten-free
soy-free
nut-free
savoury but a little bit sweet
satisfying and filling
insanely delicious

Although it can be a complete meal by itself, this salad goes really well with soft seeded bread too.

Enjoy!

closeup view of a bowl of spicy buckwheat and mungbean salad | yumsome.com

📖 Recipe

Spicy Buckwheat and Mung Bean Salad

Loaded with protein and yumminess, this spicy buckwheat and mung bean salad is really easy to make, and is as delicious as it is nutritious and frugal!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: British

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian

Nut-Free: Yes

Soy-Free: Yes

Gluten-Free: Yes

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

Makes (slide to adjust): servings

Calories: 303kcal

Author: Nico

Ingredients

Salad:

100 g mung beans
100 g dry buckwheat groats (aka kaša/kasha)
150 g Chinese (napa) cabbage stems only, thinly sliced
1 medium courgette (aka zucchini), washed and ribboned
1 large red pepper (aka bell pepper), de-seeded and finely chopped
2 large spring onions (aka scallions/green onions), white and green parts, finely sliced
2-3 medium-sized chillies finely chopped
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
50 g lambs' lettuce (aka corn salad/rapunzel)

Dressing:

2 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
8 tablespoon water

To finish:

6 large sun-dried tomatoes sliced lengthways
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Equipment options (for making courgette ribbons):

Y-peeler
mandoline
food processor
box grater
spiralizer

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Cook the seeds:

Rinse and drain the mung beans and buckwheat, then place into two saucepans, with plenty of water (approximately twice the amount of water to seeds).
Cover with lids, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium under both pans, and cook until soft, topping up the water if necessary. They'll take around 25 minutes to cook.
Once cooked, drain into a sieve (the buckwheat and mung beans can go in the same sieve), and rinse under cold running water until cooled.
Shake the sieve to get rid of any remaining water, and then empty into the bowl with the rest of the salad.

Prep the salad:

While the seeds are cooking, separate the leaves and stems of the Chinese cabbage; store the leaves in the 'fridge for another day, and cut the stems into thin slices. Place into a large bowl.
Top and tail the courgette, then cut into ribbons. Add to the bowl.
De-seed and finely chop the red pepper, and add to the bowl.
Finely slice the spring onions, chillies, and parsley, and add these to the bowl as well.
Add the lambs' lettuce, then using your hands, gently mix everything together.

Make the dressing:

Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.

Finish:

Add half of the dressing to the salad bowl. Mix well.
Taste, and add more dressing as desired.
Top with the sun-dried tomatoes and sesame seeds.
Serve immediately

Nutrition Facts

Spicy Buckwheat and Mung Bean Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 303 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 80mg3%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 11g44%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 14g28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe?Do mention @yums0me and/or tag #yums0me - I'd love to see how yours turned out!

DisclaimerMeasurements in parenthesis are approximate; it is beyond the scope of yumsome to be able to provide pinpoint-accurate ingredient quantities for every type of measuring utensil. As a guideline however, I make the assumption that:

1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
1 fl oz = US = 30 ml

Further information may be found here

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Spicy Buckwheat and Mung Bean Salad

This buckwheat salad is packed with protein!