Bulgur Salad with Cucumbers, Red Peppers, Chickpeas, Lemon & Dill

Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

With fresh herbs, chopped vegetables and chickpeas, this Middle Eastern-style bulgur salad is like a bulked-up tabbouleh.

Bowl of bulgur salad with cucumbers, red peppers, chickpeas, lemon, and dill.

Made with nutty bulgur, fresh herbs, chopped vegetables, and buttery chickpeas, this Middle Eastern-style salad is like a bulked-up tabbouleh. I like to make it over the weekend and keep it in the fridge all week long for healthy lunches.

What you’ll need to make bulgur salad

bulgur salad ingredients

Bulgur is a chewy and nutty-tasting grain made from whole wheat kernels that have been parboiled, dried and cracked. In addition to being delicious, it’s super healthy — high in fiber and protein, rich in vitamins and minerals, and low in fat and calories. You can find it in most supermarkets near the pasta, rice, or hot cereal, and many stores also carry it in the bulk bins.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To begin, in a medium bowl, combine the bulgur bowl and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

bulgur and salt

Pour 1-1/4 cups boiling water over top and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

bowl covered with plastic wrap Let the bulgur steam for 30 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed.

Glass bowl of steamed bulgur.

While the bulgur soaks, prepare the vegetables and herbs.

Chopped red onion, cucumber, red peppers, and more on a wooden cutting board.

I like to soak the red onions in cold water to remove the raw onion taste. This is totally optional — if you like raw onions, skip this step.

soaking red onion in water

Once the chopped onion has soaked, drain thoroughly.

Red onion draining in a sieve.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, sugar, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.

Whisked dressing in a glass bowl.

Add the cooled bulgur, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, dill, parsley, and chick peas.

adding the bulgur and vegetables to the dressingToss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

tossed bulgur saladChill until ready to serve or up to two days. Serve cold or room temperature.

Bowl of bulgur salad with cucumbers, red peppers, chickpeas, lemon, and dill.

You may also like

Bulgur Salad with Cucumbers, Red Peppers, Chick Peas, Lemon & Dill

With fresh herbs, chopped vegetables and chickpeas, this Middle Eastern-style bulgur salad is like a bulked-up tabbouleh.

Servings: 4 to 6 as a side dish (2 to 3 as a main course)
Total Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup medium-grind (#2) bulgur
  • 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
  • ⅓ cup diced red onion
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, from 2 lemons
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small English (or hothouse) cucumber, seeded and diced
  • ½ cup finely chopped fresh dill
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Instructions

  1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place the bulgur in a large bowl with ½ teaspoon salt and 1¼ cups boiling water. Cover the bowl tightly with saran wrap and let sit for 15-30 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Let cool, then fluff with a fork.
  2. Meanwhile, to soften the bite of the raw onions, place them in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for ten minutes, and then drain. (Feel free to skip this step if you don't mind the strong taste of raw onions.)
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, sugar, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Add the cooled bulgur, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, dill, parsley, and chick peas. Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill until ready to serve or up to two days. Serve cold or room temperature.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 336
  • Fat: 15g
  • Saturated fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 46g
  • Sugar: 7g
  • Fiber: 11g
  • Protein: 9g
  • Sodium: 1085mg
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • Great as a side with protein at dinner, amazing for lunch the next day! Have on occasion substituted quinoa with great success. For longer storage I keep lemon/olive oil dressing on the side until serving.

  • delicious salad! have made several times with success. have substituted other grains- cooked farro works especially well. thanks for the great recipes over the years.

  • Made it tonight exactly as directed. Wasn’t sure I’d like it but thought it was a healthy option—and OMG—loved it. So did my husband. It’s def going into the rotation!

    • — Barbara Armstrong
    • Reply
  • Delicious, easy to make & goes with anything. I added leftover bbq steak, thinly sliced to my bowl of bulgur salad. Complete meal & totally satisfying.

  • Don’t use plastic wrap – instead, just use a pot lid. Et voilà, zero waste!

    • I used a tea towel – voila! Delicious recipe. thanks from England 🇬🇧

  • Absolutely delicious! I make this often. Light, wonderful flavors, and very satisfying. Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Jenn!

  • Absolutely delicious! I’ve made it with bulgar but the times I haven’t been able to find bulgar, I made it with farro and it was equally delicious!

  • Just “wow!” Made this three times now and each time it was perfect. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses or sprinkle with crumbled cojita. This is simply perfect. Thank you for a great recipe!

    • One of the best salads I have made!!! So fresh and delicious. Made this recipe so many times I almost know the ingredients by heart !!! A big hit at potlucks. Thank you – love your recipes!!!!

  • Made this the first time for a big family get together. A hit with youngsters and adults alike with many requests for recipe.

    • I made this recipe this summer for my big birthday party. 100+ people, so I made 10 batches! plus one batch with quinoa for a gluten-free version.
      Everyone loved it, no leftovers!

  • My husband and I absolutely love this salad. I started making it in mid-June and have made it (at least) every other week since. It is a great summer salad to have in the fridge when you need a quick bite. The flavors all marry together so nicely — especially the dill. I, too, have added feta and even olives, at times. For some reason, bulgur has been hard to find at surrounding grocery stores so I have also made with Israeli couscous and a bulgur/ quinoa mix. All have been great. My husband is picky about his salads, but he has requested me to make this on several occasions. Thank you, Jenn, for another top-rate recipe!

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.