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!”
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!
More Salad Recipes You May Like
Mediterranean Bulgur Salad
This bulgur salad recipe checks all the boxes—fresh, hearty, and full of flavor. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or anything in between.
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.
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Added good feta (in brine) and toasted slivered almonds as garnish…served with cantaloupe, Just delicious. Cooking for only one and I will eat happily until gone. Finding good bulgar was a challenge until I found a wonderful international market. Thanks Jenn for another winner
This salad is legit! Easy to make (except all the chopping is a bit time consuming if you’re slow in the kitchen like me), healthy, and flavorful. I added a lot more garlic than called for, but that’a just a personal preference. Make it! You won’t regret it.
Emergency substitute when no parsley on hand (and short on time), I used chimichurri. A different time I was low on bulgar and used quinoa. This is a very adaptable recipe for a flavorful, filling meal.
Really yummy. We have made this a couple times now. It’s a very forgiving/accommodating recipe. Once I only had a tsp of dried dill- still delicious. The other time I added seeded, diced tomatoes and hearts of palm, still delicious.
This was so amazing! Instead of soaking the bulgur I cooked it in vegetable broth and some green onions. I happened to have grilled bell pepper so I used those. I added feta because I saw it in the comments. I could (and possibly will) eat this every day forever.
Just loved it. Found some mini cukes that I just diced up, peel and all, virtually no seeds. Added the feta as some suggested, but will leave it out next time. I think that it took away from the flavor of the salad, Thanks Jenn for another winner
five stars for sure
AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!
Made this last night because we love Tabbouleh and was looking for an alternative. WOW! My spouse and I each had a huge helping. I was surprised he ate as much a he did because I usually have to “hide” cucumbers to get him to eat them. This paired well with grilled Montreal seasoned chicken tenders along with Pita bread.
Thank you for this great recipe as well as others we have prepared and enjoyed.
This was a wonderful easy delicious salad. Thanks so much for your great recipes!!
This is an easy ,yummy salad! I make it all the time.
Can I use barley Instead or quinoa. Don’t have bulgur on hand
Sure!
Added toasted pistachios and feta. Turned out fantastic! Very fresh and summery and delicious.
Please specify the kind of bulghur? There are many and they have different cooking times.
Hi Joseph, haven’t made this recipe in a while, but I believe I used #2 which is medium. 🙂
Joseph she has it right in the recipe:
#2.
Lisa