Italian Bulgur Salad | With Oven-Roasted Fennel

Preheat the oven to 200 °C top/bottom heat. Wash the fresh fennel, remove the core, and cut the bulbs into thin wedges (set aside the delicate fennel fronds for garnish). Peel the red onion and cut into wedges. Spread both on a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, and season with a pinch of fine salt and ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until the fennel becomes tender and turns lightly brown at the edges.

Meanwhile, bring the bulgur to a boil with 500 ml of lightly salted water in a pot. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for about 10–12 minutes until the liquid is completely absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat, leave the bulgur covered to swell for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and let cool until lukewarm.

Toast the flaked almonds in a pan without oil over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until golden brown, then let them cool on a small plate.