Mung bean salad with pomegranate

I recently fell in love with mung beans. Not only they are good for you, but they also have a nutty flavor and a very subtle crunchiness that is, kind of addictive.

Loaded with protein and yumminess, this mung bean salad is really easy to make, and is as delicious as it is nutritious and frugal!

INGREDIENTS

• 150 g mung beans, soaked overnight
• 50 g walnuts, ½ cup roughly chopped
• 60 ml olive oil, 4 tbsp
• 30 ml pomegranate molasses, 2 tbsp, sub for lemon juice to taste
• 1 tsp sumac
• 1 tsp pul biber, Turkish chili flakes
• 1 tsp salt, 10 g
• 4 stalks of green onions
• 3 cloves of garlic or 2 sprigs of fresh green garlic
• 1 red paprika pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh mint, 1/4 cup chopped
• 1 bunch of parsley, 1 cup chopped
• 50 g green olives, pits removed, finely sliced
• 100 g pomegranate seeds, 1 cup

METHOD

1. Soak the mung beans in water overnight, drain and transfer into a pot
2. Fill with 1 liter water, bring to a boil and let it cook for 15 mins until doubled in size and soft
3. Drain the mung beans and set aside in a mixing bowl to cool down
4. Chop the walnuts and add into the bowl together with 1 tsp salt
5. Add 1 tsp sumac, 1/2 tsp pul biber, 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses and 2 tbsp olive oil
6. Gently mix and combine the ingredients and set aside
7. Finely chop the green onions, garlic and cut the paprika pepper into thin slices
8. Pit the olives and roughly chop into small pieces, roughly about the size of the cooked mung beans
9. Set aside half of the green onions, garlic, paprika and the olives
10. Heat up 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan, add half of the green onions and olives together with the paprika
11. Stir and saute for about 5 mins until fragrant.
12. Add half of the garlic, 1/2 tsp pul biber, sautee for another minute and remove from the heat.
13. Let it cool down a bit and add the cooked mixture into the bowl, stir to combine
14. Add the rest of the raw green onions, garlic, paprika and the olives
15. Finely chop the fresh parsley and the mint and add into the bowl 16. Finally add 1 cup pomegranate seeds, gently stir to combine