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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This was great Jenn! You’re my go to, every recipe is delish!
This was so damned good. The dressing is superb. Added mint instead of dill. Added Feta and some quartered cherry tomatoes. Had some leftover tritip that I added as well. I could eat this everyday.
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I make it all the time, sometimes just for myself, but I’ve also brought it for several potlucks.
I add feta, omit the parsley and add a ton of dried dill (you can never have too much dill). I just think this is the brightest, tastiest salad ever and I never get sick of it.
Thank you!
Your recipes never fail us. I come back to your site every single week. Thank you for making the recipe so simple and delicious. I love it when you gave us an unfamiliar ingredient and comment as where we could find it in the groceries section. That helps us in the process. This salad is one of our favorite. I use quinoa since I don’t have bulgur and it still tastes great.
I had a total mind blank and made this with quinoa instead of bulgur by accident, but it is absolutely totally delicous. I skipped the dill and used dried parsley instead of fresh. I can hardly wait for the salad to chill properly before I eat more.
I usually bring chilled grain salads to room temperature before eating. The flavors come through so much better.
Another winner…….absolutely delish!!
Oh my gosh! Just follow the directions and prepare to have a new favorite dish! Yum!!!
Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
Can you substitute Farro for the bulgur wheat?
Definitely! Keep in mind the potentially different cooking time for farro.
I have made this salad about 4 times now in the last couple of months, exactly as written in the recipe, and my husband and I still get excited about making it and having a small bowl immediately upon completion. We’ve been trying to eat a more plant-based diet, and this salad is delicious and good for you, as well as beautiful to look at in the bowl. I tried making more “traditional” tabbouleh salad from Ina Garten’s arsenal of recipes (I am a huge Ina fan, too), and my husband wasn’t loving it. Perhaps too much mint. I think the cumin does wonders for this recipe — warms it up a bit. GREAT ADDITION. Anyway, I’m so excited about this recipe and this site — each item I have tried so far has been spot on and really enjoyed by my family. And the step-by-step photographs are wonderful. Thanks, Jenn!
Very good!