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Buckwheat and pickle salad

Name: Buckwheat and pickle salad
Yield: 2 lunch portions or 4 sides
Ingredients: 120 g toasted whole buckwheat groats; Water, in the amount directed on the packet; 120 g dill pickles, drained and diced; 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced; 2 spring onions, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Toasted buckwheat groats with diced pickles, red pepper and a mustard dressing, made to keep the grains separate.

By PickleRadio editorialUpdated 18 September 2026

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Toasted buckwheat salad with diced pickles, red pepper, spring onion and parsley.

In this guide5 sections

Use whole groats for a distinct bite

Yield: 2 lunch portions or 4 sides. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: about 15 minutes; follow the buckwheat packet if different.

Toasted buckwheat has enough flavour to make a salad with a short ingredient list. Pickles give it sharpness, red pepper adds crunch, and parsley keeps the dressing from being the only flavour on the grains. Choose whole groats rather than buckwheat flour or breakfast flakes.

Packets vary, especially between raw and toasted groats. The cooking instruction on your packet takes priority over the estimated time here. Stop when the groats are tender but still distinct; a soft breakfast-porridge texture is difficult to turn into a loose salad.

Prepare the pickles

Dice the pickles and red pepper into small pieces that fit easily on the same fork as the groats. Drain the pickles before cutting, then tip away any liquid left on the board.

Use firm refrigerator cucumber pickles once chilled. Set aside the herbs and vegetables until the cooked buckwheat has stopped giving off steam so their texture stays fresh.

Diced dill pickles on a clean chopping board beside a knife and bowl.

Ingredients

120 g toasted whole buckwheat groats
Water, in the amount directed on the packet
120 g dill pickles, drained and diced
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method

Cook buckwheat in water according to its packet. Check a few minutes before the stated finish and drain any excess liquid when the groats are tender.
Check the groats before they lose their distinct shape.
Spread the cooked groats in a shallow dish so they cool evenly. Fluff gently with a fork.
Whisk oil, lemon juice, mustard and pepper in a large bowl.
Mix the dressing before adding the cooled buckwheat.
Add the cooled buckwheat and fold through the dressing, breaking up any clumps without mashing the groats.
Fold in pickles, red pepper, spring onions and parsley. Taste before deciding whether any extra seasoning is needed.
Fold gently so the grains stay separate and the vegetables spread evenly.
Serve straight away or cover and refrigerate promptly for the same day’s lunch.

Pack the salad loosely

A wide lunchbox makes it easier to fold the salad again before eating. Do not press it down tightly just to fit a smaller container; compacting the grains makes the whole portion feel heavier.

For a white-rice version with peas and a different cooling routine, use rice and pickle salad. More side dishes and lunches are grouped in the recipe collection.