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

  • Thank you for this recipe! it’s delicious. I made it cuz I needed a vegan dish for a get together. I substituted with red quinoa and I added some sherry vinegar. So good! 🙂 I also added extra chickpeas because they are so delicioussss

  • I made this last evening for the second time, but I didn’t have cumin. I substituted garam masala and I think it gave greater depth. This is a really delicious and easy dish. I just had some for lunch too.

  • This salad was delicious. We are trying to eat healthier in our house, and this fit the bill.

  • I used quinoa instead of bulgur, it turn out nice. I also used lime instead of lemon because that all I had in my fridge and it was still good. I would make this more often since its a quick fix for any day.

  • I made this and substituted quinoa – it”s a great lunch to take to work and I love that it doesn’t need to be heated in the microwave. Just stir and enjoy.

    • Scrumptious salad. A very fresh and vibrant flavor. Used a little less salt and sugar.

      • — Elizabeth Kiland
      • Reply
  • Made a double batch of this last night to enjoy with dinner and then have as leftovers this week. Very tasty, the lemon adds a refreshing citrus taste. I think it would be great with some feta too.

  • Didn’t used to like bulgur, but what a change! Like this!

  • I liked this recipe. I made for a meatless dinner during Lent. I added a bit of balsamic vinegar to the leftovers and liked that too.

  • Finally a recipe for the bulgur I bought and knew to do nothing with!

    I think this recipe was perfect. I am vegetarian, so I’m always looking for recipes that are high protein, flavor, and low in fat. I want it to be hearty and savory and this is just that.

    I’ll be making this again and again. Also, I had no idea you could soak bulgur before making this recipe. I thought it HAD to be cooked.

    Cheers to another good one!

  • Tabbouleh is one of my favorite foods not only to eat, but to make as well. This recipe was a wonderful inspiration with the addition of the chick peas it’s almost like eating my tabbouleh with a side of hummus. Love it!

Add a Comment

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