Buckwheat Salad with Chestnut Dressing

Buckwheat are the seeds of a flowering plant related to rhubarb. Contrary to the name, they are not related to wheat. Buckwheat groats are naturally gluten-free and has a low GI. They have wonderfully earthy and nutty flavour, nutritious and incredibly satisfying. You want to slightly undercook them because buckwheat tends to become mushy when overcooked. Substitute the buckwheat with millet or couscous for the recipe if desired.

	Chestnut Dressing
300 g Green beans, blanched 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice Black pepper 200 g Raw buckwheat, rinsed 450 ml Water (or broth) 2 Shallots, peeled and diced 80 g Feta, crumbled 50 g Roasted cashews 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped	120 g Cooked chestnuts 1 clove Garlic 50 g Greek yoghurt 3 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 tbsp Water 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1 tsp Curry powder Salt and pepper to taste

Trim and wash the green beans. Cook the beans in boiling salted water for 7-10 minutes. Drain, rinse and leave to drain again. Mix the green beans with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and black pepper.
Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add buckwheat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until toasted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add buckwheat to the saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until al dente. Refresh under cold running water. Drain and set aside to cool completely.
Crumble the feta into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the shallots. Mix both into the buckwheat. Season with salt and pepper. For the dressing, finely purée the chestnuts with the yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and water. Season with turmeric and curry powder, salt and pepper.
Place the buckwheat with the green beans on plates. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with roasted cashews and chopped cilantro.

33 comments:

DeniseinVA 12/1/23 21:06: I don't think I have ever eaten buckwheat before Angie. After seeing this delicious salad, I'm going to have to put it on my next shopping list. Thanks for another lovely recipe :)
roentare 12/1/23 22:11: Japanese turn buckwheat into Soba noodles. I love it in summer
Brian's Home Blog 12/1/23 22:37: That looks like a really good one too, yummer!
Christine 12/1/23 23:12: Delicious!
DEZMOND 12/1/23 23:22: I would like to try the chestnut dressing and this reminds me I'm out of buckwheat and need to buy some more. I generally don't like it as I find it a bit bitter, but since it is so healthy I usually put a spoonful into my soups or rice.
Lola Martínez 12/1/23 23:35: Es un plato contundente que debe estar exquisito con esos ingredientes y esa vinagreta tan original.
Besos
Cooking Julia 12/1/23 23:37: This buckwheat salad looks delicious. I particularly love the walnut dressing!
Tom 12/1/23 23:37: ...Angie, you sure come up with some different recipes!
Velva- Evening with a Sandwich 13/1/23 01:11: Angie, another beautiful dish. My experience with buckwheat was the kasha knishes, I enjoyed while growing up. Thanks for sharing.
J.P. Alexander 13/1/23 01:19: Parece una ensalada rica y sana. Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso.
Marissa 13/1/23 01:53: I don't know why I forget about buckwheat when I really enjoy it. This is such a hearty, nutritious and delicious looking salad, Angie. Love that creamy chestnut dressing too!
Nancy Chan 13/1/23 06:49: Buckwheat is new to me. The salad looks delicious.
Marianela Beauty Tips 13/1/23 12:22: Those meals look delicious. Thanks for sharing.
I invite you to visit my last post. Happy new year!
Eva Taylor 13/1/23 12:54: I’m always looking for low GI foods, i had no idea buckwheat was one! The chestnut dressing is quite intriguing.
2pots2cook 13/1/23 13:50: Since we have huge amount of chestnut paste frozen, this is our next to do!
thepaintedapron.com 13/1/23 15:30: The dressing really sounds good!
Bill 13/1/23 17:20: Never had buckwheat but the rest of the salad looks good.
Anne in the kitchen 13/1/23 17:52: This would serve two purposes in my kitchen right now. I am trying to use my food storage, and I have both buckwheat and individually cooked chestnut packages in the pantry. I had never eaten chestnuts before and bought them to try. Since I decided I did not like them I was wondering what I could do with the remaining packets. Thank you for this food "save".
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine 13/1/23 22:10: Yum that amazing and I would love to dive right into this elegant salad!
The Happy Whisk 13/1/23 23:43: Yes! I love buckwheat groats, I almost always have them on hand. Delightful.
Mbul Kecil 14/1/23 03:34: wow is a good idea for shallot's sauce....looks creammy and tasty...God job Angie ^^
Rainbow Evening 14/1/23 09:11: never tasted buckwheat before, but salad sounds delicious ......
Marcepanowy Kącik 14/1/23 12:33: Lubię kaszę gryczaną w dodatku jest zdrowa.
eileeninmd 14/1/23 12:42: Hello Angie
The salad and dressing look and sound delicious. Thanks for sharing another great recipe. Take care and enjoy your day, happy weekend.
lolines 14/1/23 13:48: Has preparado una riquisima ensalada.
Saludos.
Rhodesia 14/1/23 15:44: I wonder if I can buy buckwheat here this salad looks interesting. Keep well Diane
Maria Grazia Ferrarazzo Maineri 14/1/23 16:53: Your salads are so tasty and delicious, Angie! Thanks for skating this precious recipe.
Gingi 14/1/23 20:10: I have recently begun cooking with chestnuts... so yummy!! - www.domesticgeekgirl.com
David 14/1/23 20:24: Angie, I've had buckwheat pancakes before but I don't think that I've had any other dishes with buckwheat in them. Interesting that you like my posts where beef is featured but most of your recipes are healthier... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Anonymous 15/1/23 14:19: It's Judee from Gluten Free A-Z blog. I am not a fan of buckwheat although I would like to be since it is a gluten free vegan food. I'm going to give your delicious looking salad a try!
My name is Erika. 15/1/23 14:47: Yummy. I love the variety of salads you've been sharing.
tigerfish 17/1/23 17:38: I love buckwheat for it's earthy and nutty flavors (that's why I said I'll add buckwheat to the tuna and avocado salad post - and that's before I read buckwheat salad post)
The Happy Whisk 18/1/23 20:02: I love cashews added to stuff.