This Buckwheat Salad is made using a combination of roasted and fresh vegetables for a delicious vegetarian meal. Gluten free, nutritious and simple to make it comes together in just over 30 minutes.
In this Buckwheat Salad I combined cooked buckwheat with typical Greek salad ingredients and created a delicious, healthy meal that's full of contrasting flavours and textures.
What is buckwheat
Contrary to its name buckwheat is not a type of wheat, but a plant with grain-like seeds. It is an excellent source of protein, magnesium, and other minerals. Naturally gluten free it is high in fibre and rutin, which is a type of antioxidant.
Buckwheat pairs well with robust, sweet and tangy flavours, abundant in this salad.
Buckwheat salad ingredients and substitutions
- Buckwheat groats.
- Tomatoes: use cherry tomatoes or another tomato variety. If using large tomatoes cut them into quarters before roasting.
- Cucumber: you can but don't need to peel it and remove the seeds.
- Peppers: I used sweet pointed peppers, but you can use red bell pepper instead if preferred.
- Olives: use either green or black olives, or a bit of both.
- Feta: Roasted feta is soft, tangy and mellow and simply ideal to pair with buckwheat (I prepared it in a similar way in roasted beetroot and feta pasta salad).
- Sundried tomatoes.
- Oil: I used the oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes, for added flavour, but any olive oil will work.
- Onion: use red or white onion.
- Oregano.
- Lemon juice: use according to preference.
What type of buckwheat to use
To make this salad you can either cook raw buckwheat groats or use ready-cooked (which you can sometimes get in pouches). Buckwheat available in stores is typically sold as raw, dried groats, which need to be boiled before use.
You can also use roasted buckwheat, which has a slightly bitter (even burnt) flavour, if preferred. This type of buckwheat is often available in Polish stores.
How to cook buckwheat groats
To cook buckwheat use 1 portion of the buckwheat groats to 1.5 portions of salted water. Cover, bring to the boil, then simmer for about 12 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed and the groats are tender, stirring occasionally. If after 12 minutes your buckwheat doesn't seem to be fully cooked add a bit of water and cook for a few more minutes but make sure you don't overcook it. Cooked buckwheat should be soft but not mushy and sticky.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.Preheat oven: While the buckwheat is boiling away prepare the vegetables. Preheat the oven to its highest temperature and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roast vegetables: Arrange the tomatoes and whole peppers (if using red bell peppers cut them in half and roast skin side up) on top of the baking sheet. Brush with a little oil and roast in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes.
3. Add feta: Remove from the oven, add chunks of feta then return to the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Cool: Take out of the oven and carefully remove the skin from the pepper (if possible). Set aside to cool or use while still warm.
5. Assemble buckwheat salad: Spread the buckwheat on top of a large plate or in a shallow bowl. Place the vegetables, both roasted (along with the juices if any) and raw over the top, add the feta, season to taste, sprinkle the oregano and drizzle over the oil and lemon juice. Give a gentle stir and enjoy!
Do I have to roast the vegetables
No, you don't! For me this buckwheat salad tastes better with roasted rather than raw vegetables, but the choice is yours.
Top tips
- Buckwheat: You can usually find raw buckwheat in large supermarkets, health food stores or Polish stores. You can also use ready-cooked buckwheat.
- Make ahead: You can cook the buckwheat ahead and once cooled refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Serving: Serve this buckwheat salad either warm or cold. You can add the vegetables straight from the oven.
- Storing: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Not suitable for freezing.
More buckwheat salad ideas
- Stir cooked buckwheat into roasted vegetable salad or celery root salad.
- Combine with chopped dill pickles and hard-boiled eggs (plus, optionally, canned tuna) and add a drizzle of dill mustard sauce.
- Combine with roasted beets and feta and add a drizzle of either redcurrant sauce or blackberry sauce.
What else to do with buckwheat
- Make Creamy Buckwheat Casserole.
- Serve as a side dish with creamy mushroom sauce (such as the one I made for meatballs) or chicken mushroom.
More related salad recipes to try next
See also these other delicious salad recipes!
Recipe
Greek Style Buckwheat Salad
Equipment
- Large baking sheet
- Medium saucepan with lid
Ingredients
- 1 cup (160 g) buckwheat groats or 1⅔c cooked buckwheat
- 2 sweet red pointed peppers whole, or red bell peppers
- 7.05 ounces (200 g) cherry tomatoes or your favourite tomato variety
- 7.05 ounces (200 g) feta
- ⅓ English cucumber peeled, cubed or cut into sticks
- 15 green olives or kalamata, pitted
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 4 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped
- 3 tablespoons oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes
- 1½-2 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Fine sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook buckwheat: Use 1 portion of the buckwheat groats to 1.5 portions of salted water. Cover, bring to the boil, then simmer for about 12 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed and the groats are tender, stirring occasionally. If after 12 minutes your buckwheat doesn't seem to be fully cooked add a bit of water and cook for a few more minutes but make sure you don't overcook it. Cooked buckwheat should be soft but not mushy and sticky.
- Preheat oven: While the buckwheat is boiling away prepare the vegetables. Preheat the oven to its highest temperature and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roast vegetables: Place the tomatoes and whole peppers (if using red bell peppers cut them in half and roast skin side up) on top, brush with a little olive oil and roast in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes.
- Add feta: Remove from the oven, add chunks of feta and return to the oven for 15 minutes.
- Cool: Remove from the oven, carefully remove the skin from the pepper (if possible) and either set aside to cool or use make the salad while the vegetables are still warm.
- Assemble salad: Spread the buckwheat on top of a large plate or in a shallow bowl and place the vegetables, both roasted (along with the juices if any) and raw over the top. Add the feta, sundried tomatoes, season to taste, sprinkle the oregano and drizzle over the oil and lemon juice. Give a gentle stir and enjoy!
Notes
- Buckwheat: You can usually find raw buckwheat in large supermarkets, health food stores or Polish stores. You can also use ready-cooked buckwheat.
- Make ahead: You can cook the buckwheat ahead and once cooled refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Serving: Serve this buckwheat salad either warm or cold. You can add the vegetables straight from the oven.
- Storing: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make this Greek-style buckwheat salad recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Mandy Mazliah says
This sounds mouth-wateringly delicious!
Monika says
I find buckwheat doesn't always taste great, as a child I only ever had it with meat and it wasn't my favourite thing in the world:( but it tastes great with something sweet, such as pineapple, as I recently found. I hope you do try it again!
Eb Gargano says
This sounds fabulous - I've heard a lot about the health benefits of buckwheat recently - have tried it once but really must try it again! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Eb x