When you’re looking for a cold meal that still feels like a meal, you can’t go wrong with a bulgur salad. The fluffy, pleasantly chewy grain has a knack for taking on the flavors of the dressing you add, and it combines beautifully with any combination of herbs, legumes and fresh vegetables you care to use.
Bulgur wheat is made from wheat berries that have been par-cooked and then milled, in much the same way that steel-cut oats are made. It’s a process that’s been used for thousands of years, because it helps preserve the wheat’s nutrients and slows the development of musty or rancid flavors in the whole grain. Those are both very good things, but the most important point is that bulgur wheat salads just plain taste good.
Ingredients for Bulgur Salad
- Vegetable broth: The bulgur wheat needs to be simmered or steamed so it’ll soften enough to use in a salad. You could cook it in water, but the vegetable broth adds both flavor and nutrition.
- Bulgur wheat: Bulgur provides much of the salad’s volume and texture. It also pairs with the chickpeas to provide a complete protein.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is at home in most salad dressings, but it’s especially appropriate when the salad is Mediterranean-inspired.
- Lemon juice: Vinaigrettes need an acidic ingredient, usually vinegar or a tart citrus juice. Lemon juice is a common choice in the Mediterranean, where lemons are a local and widely grown ingredient.
- Parsley: Parsley’s low-key flavor enhances the other ingredients in the salad, and its bold green color adds to its visual appeal.
- Garbanzo beans or chickpeas: Garbanzos or chickpeas (two names for the same legume) have a creamy texture and a recognizably savory flavor. They pack a big protein punch, without the saturated fats that come with most animal proteins.
- Cherry tomatoes: The tomatoes add both color and flavor to the salad. Cherry tomatoes are better in this case than full-size tomatoes, because they’ll hold their shape better in the salad.
- Cucumber: A salad packed with beans and grain needs vegetables to lighten it, and cucumber adds moisture, color and a pleasing crunch.
- Green onions: The mild but insistent onion flavor of green onion stands up nicely to the salad’s other ingredients, and the greens bring a splash of bold color to the serving bowl.
- Feta cheese: Feta’s big, funky flavor plays nicely with the tart vinaigrette, and its pure white makes it a beautiful as well as a tasty garnish.
- Pine nuts: Pine nuts are a signature Mediterranean ingredient, bringing a delicate textural contrast (and of course, a nutty flavor) to this bulgur wheat salad.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the bulgur
In a large saucepan, combine the bulgur and vegetable broth, and bring them to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and let the bulgur cook for about 20 minutes, or until the grain is tender and most of the broth has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat, take off the lid and let the bulgur sit until the broth is fully absorbed.
Step 2: Make the dressing
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper.
Step 3: Assemble the salad
In a large serving bowl, combine the bulgur, beans, tomatoes, cucumber and green onions. Drizzle the mixture with the dressing, and toss the salad until everything is evenly coated. Before serving, sprinkle the salad with the crumbled feta and pine nuts.
Bulgur Salad Variations
- Switch up the grain: Bulgur wheat has a lesser-known cousin called freekeh (or frikeh or farik or other variations on those spellings). It’s made from immature green wheat that’s first roasted and then ground, and its flavor and texture are intriguingly different from regular bulgur. Also, the roasting process gives it a smoky flavor that elevates this salad noticeably. It’s a whole grain most people don’t know about, but you can find it online or in Middle Eastern grocery stores. Quinoa or cracked farro are also options. Quinoa is decidedly less authentic, but it’s your best bet for a gluten-free option.
- Make bulgur bowls: “Deconstruct” the salad to make individual bulgur bowls. Divide the bulgur into serving portions in individual bowls, arrange the other ingredients over the bulgur as toppings, and then drizzle the dressing and garnishes over everything (or let each diner pick their own combination of add-ins). For a slightly different version, check out this bulgur bowl recipe.
- Herb it up: If your garden is filled with herbs, or if you regularly have leftover herbs from other recipes, chop them and add them to this salad. The best choices are herbs with a strong Mediterranean or Middle Eastern connotation, like parsley, mint and dill, but anything you like is fine as long as it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients. The end result should resemble tabbouleh salad.
How to Store Bulgur Salad
Leftover bulgur salad can be stored in its serving bowl under a cover, or transferred to a smaller bowl and covered. Alternatively, spoon it into portion-sized food storage containers with tight-fitting lids.
Can I make this bulgur salad recipe ahead of time?
You can definitely make the salad a day ahead, though the bulgur wheat will soak up the vinaigrette and it can feel a bit dry in your mouth. Your best bet is to leave off the feta and pine nut topping, and to make more of the vinaigrette. Before serving, drizzle the salad with the extra vinaigrette and toss it so the ingredients are freshly coated. Then add the garnishes to the top of the salad and serve it.
How long will bulgur wheat salad keep?
The bulgur itself and the chickpeas will last for several days in your fridge, but the clock starts ticking immediately on the tomatoes and cucumbers. Those will soften relatively quickly, so your practical limit for leftovers is two to three days.
Bulgur Salad Recipe Tips
I’m not fond of feta, can I use another cheese?
Any cheese with a bold flavor will work as a substitute. Fresh goat cheese is an excellent option, though it isn’t as salty as feta and you may need to add a pinch of extra salt to the vinaigrette. Shredded or shaved Parmesan is a good choice too.
Are the pine nuts essential?
Pine nuts are great in this recipe, but they’re also relatively expensive. If you don’t normally keep them on hand, you can substitute toasted chopped walnuts, slivered almonds or even chopped pistachios (which bring an interestingly different flavor and bright color to the salad). All of them are popular and widely used in the region, so they’re every bit as authentic as pine nuts.
I heard I can soak bulgur instead of boiling it?
You heard right. Bulgur wheat comes in many different sizes, or grinds, and the finer grinds can simply be soaked in hot broth or water. The medium size can be soaked as well, but it’s definitely chewier than cooked bulgur. Soaking isn’t appropriate for anything larger than the medium size.
Can I use my garden tomatoes instead of the cherry tomatoes?
If you have vine-ripened tomatoes from the garden (or a good farmstand), by all means use them. Cut them into bite-sized pieces, and add 2 cups of the pieces instead of the cherry tomatoes. Your diced ripe tomatoes will release more juice into the salad than cherry tomatoes, but it won’t usually be enough to change the texture of the grain (the bulgur wheat will absorb the extra moisture, as it sits). The only downside is that diced tomatoes will soften in a day or two, which shortens the refrigerator life of any leftovers.
