Bulgur Salad with Cucumbers, Red Peppers, Chickpeas, Lemon & Dill
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With fresh herbs, chopped vegetables and chickpeas, this Middle Eastern-style bulgur salad is like a bulked-up tabbouleh.
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 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.
Pour 1-1/4 cups boiling water over top and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Let the bulgur steam for 30 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed.
While the bulgur soaks, prepare the vegetables and herbs.
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.
Once the chopped onion has soaked, drain thoroughly.
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.
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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.
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
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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
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- 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.
Do you think you could do this with brown rice for the bulgur to make it gluten free? Thank you.
Hi Michelle, Yes, absolutely.
I made this salad for company and it was a hit with everyone. We love tabbouleh and I think that this version is even better than the more traditional recipes. There is a nice balance of flavors and this salad goes well with chicken or fish. By itself, it is a delicious lunch and it tastes great left-over.
This recipe is a keeper! The salad stays fresh for several days and is tangy, light and delicious. We have meat eaters and vegetarians in our family and this salad works well as a main course, side dish or healthy lunch.
This is the first time I am leaving a review for a recipe, EVER – because it is THAT good. The flavors are a perfect blend, subtle and nothing is overpowering (I followed the trick to soak the onions.) I first tried your Black Bean Avocado salad which was also a home run, as a novice “chef” I truly surprised myself… thank you!!
This is a delicious summer salad and so refreshing! A great take on traditional tabbouli that is good enough to serve at a party.
Add a spoonful of sugar (or more) in the water when soaking onions and then rinse it out thoroughly. It shortens the soaking time and removes the bitterness better than simple soaking.
Thanks for this lovely recipe. I regularly make it on a Sunday night and have it for lunch through the week. I make a few small changes, I don’t like dill or parsley so I use coriander instead. I don’t use any salt or sugar. It’s amazing. Thanks again.
really nice salad i tried and it cam out very well
I’ve just made this dish it’s delicious I’ve added extra lemon juice to taste. Super thank you.
Made this last summer and got rave reviews.