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 made this salad and it was delicious. I did make a few changes due to what I had at home. I substituted farrow because I had no bulgar and it was probably a bit chewier. The dressing was a bit tart for me and rather than adding more sugar, I added a few tablespoons of some Rose’ I had left over from the weekend. I will definitely make this again. I love having a side or lunch all ready to go.
This is a great salad, just delicious. Didn’t have chickpeas so substituted a can of 4-bean mix. Otherwise made as written. Thought hubby wouldn’t go for it much but I noted he kept digging in. It’s a winner for sure.
Loved this recipe. Didn’t have English cucumbers so used regular cucumbers and came out great. Husband isn’t a fan of raw bell peppers but due to dicing the peppers he didn’t seem to mind. I could eat this regularly. I didn’t have bulgur and used couscous instead. Loved the idea of soaking the onions and preferred that method and will use again for other recipes. Again no fresh herbs so used dried dill and parsley and mixed in with the dressing. Definitely keeping this recipe.
This is a great recipe packed with fresh flavor! I followed it faithfully except that I substituted green onions (scallions) for the red onion. I will definitely make it again.
Thanks for a 5 star recipe. I usually like more lemon than recipes like this call for, as someone else noted, so I will go back and add a little more after just tasting the results. But that is just me. With the combination of wheat and chickpeas it has a complete protein and the fresh veggies make it a one dish meal. I will finish with a piece of fruit. Lovely recipe.
Incredible!
Nailed it again!
Just finished making this for our lunches and a healthier start to 2023! Had to pry my husband away so I could get it in the fridge! Cant wait for lunch tomorrow after this has had a chance to “marinate” some more. Definitely a keeper!
Love it! Nailed it and made it again to share at work. Such a hit plus a coworker of mine also decided to make it for guests after tasting mine! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Jenn,
Great dish! Curious if you have ever tried toasting the bulgar in a pan before soaking in water? I’ve read a few other recipes/comments and it’s supposed to give it a nutty flavor.
No, I’ve never tried it. Let me know how it comes out if you do!
Really tasty. My husband loved it. He can’t eat anything in the allium family but even though I left the onions out it was so flavorful. I’m not a parsley or chickpea fan but when I read the ingredients I had a feeling I was going to really enjoy it. Plus you’ve literally never steered me wrong. And I was right. It’s so clean and delicious. Perfect for the hot weather.
I made as written and it was a huge hit. I will definitely make again. Jenn I wonder if you could suggest a spice to replace cumin, although we like cumin I would like an option to make without for variety.
Glad you like it. For a little change, you could use coriander or paprika. 🙂