Okay, you caught us: There's no sliced bread here, and you'll need a knife and fork. But this bulgur and grilled-vegetable salad has so much gusto that it simply cries out for a daring presentation to match.
Vegetables can be grilled in an oiled hot 2-burner grill pan.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 1/4 hr
Yield
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
For tomato vinaigrette:
For salad:
Preparation
Make vinaigrette:
Step 1
With motor running, drop garlic into food processor and finely chop. Add tomatoes, parsley, oil, vinegar, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pulse until tomatoes are finely chopped but not puréed.
Make salad:
Step 2
Peel skin from portabellas using tip of a paring knife, pulling from edge of mushroom toward center. Gently scrape off gills from mushrooms with tip of a spoon. Toss portabellas with 1/2 cup vinaigrette in a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish and let stand, turning occasionally, 20 minutes.
Step 3
Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat; see Grilling Procedure .
Step 4
Push 1 wooden pick into each onion wedge to secure for grilling. Toss onion wedges, bell peppers, and zucchini with oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill vegetables, covered, turning occasionally, until tender (6 to 8 minutes for bell peppers, 6 to 10 minutes for zucchini, 8 to 12 minutes for onion, and 12 to 15 minutes for portabellas).
Step 5
Transfer portabellas to a plate and remaining vegetables to a bowl as cooked. Cool slightly, then remove wooden picks and coarsely chop onion, bell peppers, and zucchini.
Step 6
While vegetables cook, pour boiling-hot water over bulgur with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and let stand until water is absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve if any water remains.
Step 7
Add vegetables to bulgur with pine nuts and remaining vinaigrette and toss.
Step 8
Put one fourth of arugula on each of 4 plates. Top with upside-down portabella. Pack bulgur mixture into a cup measure, then unmold on top of portabella. Top with another portabella, right side up. Serve with an avocado quarter.
