Playing in the kitchen with creating different tabbouleh I made this pomegranate and nut version with a pomegranate molasses dressing - it's divine.

Ingredients

• 1 cup bulghur
• 1½ cups boiling water
• 1 cup pistachio nuts, toasted
• 1 cup un-skinned almonds, toasted
• ½-1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup well-packed chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup (150 gram tub) pomegranate seeds
• ½ red onion, very thinly sliced
• a couple of handfuls of watercress leaves, optional

Pomegranate molasses dressing

• ¼-½ cup quality olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 teaspoon ras-el-hanout
• grated rind one small lemon
• ¼ teaspoon prepared mustard

Method

1. Place the bulghur in a wide bowl and pour over the boiling water and set aside for 10 minutes to reconstitute. Drain well and squeeze to remove any excess moisture.
2. Chop the nuts roughly, if using a food processor, use the pulse button to achieve a coarse chop. Place in a large bowl and toss with the cracked wheat, parsley, mint, pomegranate seeds and red onion.
3. Toss through the dressing and then season. If using the watercress, toss through the salad just before serving.

Pomegranate molasses dressing

1. In a jug, use a fork to whisk the oil, molasses, ras-el-hanout, lemon rind and mustard together. Stand for 5 minutes ot allow the spices in the ras-el-hanout to reconstitute and the flavours to evolve.

Cooks Tips

- Rasel Hanout is a middle eastern spice blend, the name means best-of-the-best, top-of-the-shop and it's a complex mix of spices some say up to 27, including things like the damask rose, coriander, turmeric, nutmeg and more. I like to buy the Bazaar range - they have distinctive blue packaging and it's found in most food shops and some supermarkets. - Toasted chopped almonds and pistachio nuts add flavour and texture that matches that of the firm cracked wheat. - Jewel-like pomegranate seeds add colour and a touch of sweetness to the salad. - The seeds are now available fresh, in pre-packed tubs, look for them in the chilled section in the fruit and veg section of the supermarket. - Pomegranate molasses - the syrup from the fruit is astringent and adds a fresh note to the salad in place of lemon juice.