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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Loved this. Added more salt to brighten the lemon.
A simple recipe but full of flavor, i substituted the bulgur with quinoa.
Love this! Simple, fresh and tasty as is. I did add feta, red pepper and celery along with some lemon zest. Thanks for another fast, easy and delish recipe!
Great idea to add feta! Going to try that too!
This was my first time using bulgur for anything. I brought the finished product to a meeting and everyone loved it, including one guy who isn’t really a salad person. He went back for seconds. One teeny matter: when you listed the ingredients, you didn’t have how much cucumber listed or whether or not one should peel the outer skin, though I saw it in the picture. I used two small ones.
I see she hasn’t responded. Cucumber add what you want, two sounds good and if using Persian or English cucumbers don’t peel.
This recipe was delicious. First time using bulgur. Matched perfectly with a salmon we made. One question: is the one cup of bulgur the measurement before the water is added or after it is absorbed?
Hi Christian, the 1 cup is the measurement before you add the water. (So glad you enjoyed it!)
Think I should have dried the bulgur off a bit like I do with tabbouleh and I didn’t have fresh capsicum so used some from a jar which was yummy but if I did it again, I would reduce dressing.
Flavour was amazing
I made this with riced cauliflower instead of bulgur, didn’t change anything else and it was amazing! Extra crunchy, too!
What size Bulgur do you use? I’ve tried #1 and #2. The #1 bag/brand said to rinse first which I did. Then I added the boiling water according to a different recipe (not yours) which, in the end made the dish mushy. Thanks.
Hi Dorotha, I haven’t made this recipe in a while, but I think I used #2 which is medium sized grain. Hope you enjoy the salad if you make it!
This recipe is FANTASTIC. It is one of the best bulgar salads I have ever made. Thank you so much. This is a keeper.
OMG. I was reluctant to make this recipe because of how much prep is involved and the short keep time, but I am SO glad I did.
It’s delicious and refreshing, I’ve made it twice this week. It’s particularly delicious alongside salmon.
EXCELLENT! My family loved this hearty salad. Rave reviews included perfect taste balance. They had never had anything with bulgur before. I used dried spices except for fresh mint. It was still excellent! Thanks so much