Mediterranean Bulgur Salad
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With fresh herbs, chopped vegetables and chickpeas, this Mediterranean bulgur salad is like a bulked-up tabbouleh. Hearty enough to serve on its own or as a healthy side for grilled meats or fish.
Made with nutty bulgur, fresh herbs, chopped vegetables, and buttery chickpeas, this Mediterranean bulgur salad recipe is hearty, healthy, and full of flavor. I like to make it over the weekend and keep it in the fridge all week for easy lunches.
Bulgur is a chewy, nutty-tasting grain made from whole wheat kernels that have been parboiled, dried, and cracked. In addition to being delicious, it’s packed with fiber and protein, rich in vitamins and minerals, and low in fat and calories. You can usually find it near the pasta, rice, or hot cereal at most grocery stores—or in the bulk bins if your store has them.
“I love this salad! Perfectly balanced and great for easy meal prep!rn”
What You’ll Need To Make Mediterranean Bulgur Salad
- Medium-grind bulgur: A quick-cooking whole grain with a chewy texture and nutty flavor—it’s the hearty base of the salad.
- Chickpeas: Add creaminess, protein, and make the salad feel more like a meal.
- Red bell pepper, cucumber & red onion: This veggie trio brings color, crunch, and freshness.
- Fresh dill & parsley: Lots of fresh herbs give the salad a bright, clean flavor.
- Lemon juice, olive oil & garlic: The base of the dressing; bright, rich, and full of flavor.
- Cumin, sugar, salt & black pepper: A simple spice blend that adds warmth, balance, and just the right amount of seasoning.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the bulgur. To begin, in a medium bowl, combine the bulgur and ½ teaspoon salt.
Pour 1¼ 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.
Step 2: Soak the onion. While the bulgur soaks, I like to soak the red onion in cold water and then drain to remove the sharp raw onion taste. This is totally optional; if you like the sharpness of raw onions, you can skip this step.
Step 3: Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, sugar, pepper, and remaining teaspoon of salt.
Step 4: Finish the salad. Add the cooled bulgur, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, dill, parsley, and chick peas.
Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill the bulgur salad until ready to serve or for up to two days. Serve cold or room temperature and enjoy!
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Mediterranean Bulgur Salad
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 clove garlic, 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-oz) 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 (300 ml) boiling water. Cover the bowl tightly with saran wrap and let sit for 15 to 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
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.
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I have made this before, and everyone loves it. It is healthy and refreshing with the lemon/oil dressing is perfect. A wonderful salad for a mid-eastern luncheon! Actually added tomatoes because I had home grown available and couldn’t resist using them.
Thanks, Jen.
Susan
Oh yeah. I also added kale. It blended well with everything
Hi I’ve made this salade several times now and each time im amazed just how good it is. I had a similar one when i was in Israel this time last year. I am sold and so are family and friends. Thank you !
Tastes great! Used scallions because the red onion at the store didn’t look good. Nice vegan dish for lunch or side. I also forgot the cumin, but maybe I’ll add to what I didn’t eat already!
Wonderful salad for a July evening. Fresh, crunchy, tasty.
Recipe looks delicious! Added to my list to try.
Question: how long will the salad keep in the fridge for?
Thanks!
Hi Yasmin, it should keep nicely in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. Hope you enjoy@
What size bulgar did you use for that salad?
Hi Mary, I haven’t made this recipe in a while, but I believe I used #2 which is medium. Hope you enjoy the salad if you make it!
Such fresh flavour. An amazingly quick and tasty salad! I have made the recipe for a meal with the chick peas and have omitted the chick peas when I serve as a side dish with falafel.
I had a great Aunt who introduced me to bulgur when I was a kid and I never looked back. And I don’t mean that in a positive way! I forgot about it as quickly as I could! Fast forward many moons and it, along with so many other grains, are the darlings of many a health-conscious cook’s repertoire and are just plain EVERYWHERE.
So when I first saw the recipe, it read deliciously and I figured, eh, a few decades have passed, maybe I should give the ol’ bulgur another shot? Like with many of Jenn’s recipes, I was very glad I did.
Here’s the thing though, at I rarely use garlic and onion when i cook. And yes, I am 100% sure that it sets my great Aunt spinning in her grave. (Along with the rest of the many matriarchs of my extended Italian family who have passed on as well!) It is plainly and simply (and sadly!) just as some killjoy once perfectly phrased it, I love them but they don’t love me.
Newsflash: no one whom I have ever made this for missed them (if I told them about leaving them out), or suggested they should be added (if I didn’t.) The fresh, bright taste of the lemon juice, sweetness of the red pepper, slight nuttiness of the chichi beans, and the deliciousness of the fresh dill and parsley, when considered with all the different textures in play, make this an absolute winner for every summer cookout. (Particularly the ones where you know that there may be a few non-meat eaters in attendance.)
So leave the garlic and onion in the recipe, or leave them out and see what you think. But I do have one request, whatever you do, just don’t tell the kids the salad has something called bulgur in it!
This recipe is amazing! So incredibly fresh and easy. I’ve made it as a main and as a side – both great. I like to mix in a bit of Greek yogurt or tzatziki sometimes to add a bit of creaminess.
I love your recipes! I was looking for something to use up some barley that I had in the pantry (from your wonderful Beef and Barley Soup) and I came across this recipe. I prepared the barley and rinsed off the gooey starch before tossing it with the rest of the ingredients. It is amazing!
I made this delicious salad a few months ago. It came together very quickly , was satisfying with bright MEditerranean flavors and tasted even better the next day.
I recommend it as a side to the chicken kebabs.
best salad ever! I love it! Thanks so much!