Recipe for: Light salad with buckwheat, grilled peppers, and cottage cheese - photo 1
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Recipe for: Light salad with buckwheat, grilled peppers, and cottage cheese

Main dishes Salads 35 min Easy 0 views ~17.71 PLN * - (0)
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Description

A refreshing summer salad that combines smoky notes, freshness, and creamy acidity. The base is roasted buckwheat, which provides a firm texture and nutty flavor; we add sweet-smoky grilled peppers and creamy cottage cheese for contrast. Fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion introduce juiciness and crunch, while a dressing made with canola oil and lemon juice emphasizes the summer character. This dish works great as a light main course on warm days, for a picnic, at work, or as a side for grilling. Visually appealing due to the red of the peppers and the green of the parsley; it tastes best slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (13)

Servings:
4
  • Buckwheat groats 240 g
  • Pepper 600 g
  • Cottage cheese 400 g
  • Tomato 2.5 pcs (~300 g)
  • Cucumber 1 pcs (~300 g)
  • Red onion 150 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Lemon 1.3 pcs (~100 g)
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Salt 2 g
  • Black pepper 2 pinch (~1 g)
  • Parsley 1 bunch (~30 g)
  • ✨ Optional
  • Sunflower seeds 30 g
  • Arugula 40 g
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~17.71 PLN (4.43 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Buckwheat

1

Measure 240 g of dry buckwheat. Transfer the buckwheat to a sieve and rinse under cold running water for about 30 seconds, shaking the sieve until the water runs clear. In a pot with a capacity of at least 2 l, bring 480 ml of water with 1 g of salt to a boil. Add the buckwheat to the boiling water, stir with a wooden spoon, reduce the heat to low, and cook covered for 12–15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are soft but fluffy. After cooking, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff the buckwheat with a fork.

Ingredients: Buckwheat groats, Salt
Use a pot with a thick bottom with a capacity of at least 2 l and a lid. Second method: cook the groats in a ratio of 1:2 (groats:water). The groats are ready when the grains are soft, not mushy, and easily separate with a fork.

Grilled bell pepper

2

Wash the bell peppers (600 g). Cut each one in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and white membranes. Drizzle lightly with 15 g of rapeseed oil and rub with your fingers. Preheat the grill, grill pan, or oven (grill/tray) to high heat. On the heated surface, place the peppers skin side down and grill for 8–12 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until the skin is evenly charred and blistering. If using the oven, preheat to 220°C with the grill function and bake for 20–25 minutes, turning every 7–8 minutes.

Ingredients: pepper, Rapeseed oil
Use tongs to turn and a bowl with a lid or foil to 'sweat' the peppers after grilling — this will make it easier to remove the skin. Common mistakes: not removing the skin after charring results in a tougher texture; do not grill for too short a time, as the browning will be weak.
3

After grilling, place the pepper in a bowl and cover it with a lid or tightly with foil for 8–10 minutes — the steam will loosen the skin. Then, remove the skin with your fingers or a knife and cut the flesh into strips about 1–1.5 cm wide.

Ingredients: pepper
To remove the skin, use kitchen gloves or tongs; the skin should come off easily. If the pepper doesn't want to release its skin, covering it for a longer time will help.

Vegetables

4

Dice the tomatoes (300 g) into pieces about 1–1.5 cm. Peel the cucumber (300 g) thinly if the skin is tough and cut it into half-moons or cubes. Peel the red onion (150 g) and slice it very thinly so it doesn't overpower the flavor. Finely chop the chopped parsley (30 g).

Ingredients: Tomato, Cucumber, Red onion, Parsley
Use a sharp knife and a cutting board. To reduce the sharpness of the onion, you can blanch it in boiling water for 10–15 seconds or soak it in cold water for 5 minutes.

Dressing

5

In a small bowl, pour in the juice of one lemon (about 30 ml) and add 15 g of rapeseed oil. Add 2 g of salt and 1 g of freshly ground pepper. Whisk vigorously with a fork or whisk for about 20–30 seconds until the ingredients combine into an emulsified dressing. Taste and adjust with a bit of salt or lemon juice if needed.

Ingredients: Lemon, Rapeseed oil, Salt, Black pepper, Cottage cheese
Use a small bowl and a whisk or fork. If you want a creamier dressing, add 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese and mix until smooth.

Assembly

6

Transfer the cooled buckwheat to a large bowl. Add strips of grilled bell pepper, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, thin half-slices of onion, and chopped parsley. Mash the cottage cheese (400 g) with a fork into smaller chunks and add it to the bowl. Drizzle with the prepared dressing and gently mix with a silicone spoon or your gloved hands — mix 8–10 times so that the ingredients combine but do not break apart.

Ingredients: Buckwheat groats, pepper, Tomato, Cucumber, Red onion, Parsley, Cottage cheese, Lemon, Rapeseed oil, Salt, Black pepper
Use a large bowl (at least 3 l) and a salad spoon or silicone spatula. Do not mix too vigorously — the cottage cheese should remain lumpy for texture.

Finishing and serving

7

Before serving, taste the salad and adjust the salt and pepper. If you are using optional sunflower seeds (30 g), toast them in a dry pan for 3–4 minutes until they start to brown slightly, and sprinkle them over the salad. If you want to add arugula (40 g), gently mix it in just before serving to prevent it from wilting. Let the salad sit for 10–15 minutes in a cool place to allow the flavors to meld, or serve immediately at room temperature.

Ingredients: sunflower seeds, Arugula, Salt, Black pepper
For serving, use a flat platter or salad bowl. A common mistake: adding arugula too early will cause it to wilt. Additionally, you can add sunflower seeds to enhance the texture.

Fun Fact

💡

Buckwheat was a staple of peasant cuisine in many regions of Poland; it stays fresh for a long time and pairs wonderfully with grilled vegetables, giving it a modern, summery character.

Best for

letni obiad piknik lekki lunch do pracy

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the salad slightly chilled or at room temperature. It pairs wonderfully with a slice of rye bread or grilled chicken breast. Sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil before serving for a more intense aroma.

🥡 Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 24–36 hours. Add arugula and sunflower seeds just before serving to maintain freshness and crunch. For reheating: it's better not to reheat — the salad loses its freshness; you can take out a portion and heat the grains separately, then combine them again.

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