Bulgur Salad

This quick and easy whole grain salad is so delicious!  This will become your favorite bulgur recipe!   Bulgur, cucumbers, dried cranberries, green onions, and parsley tossed with a tangy olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette.  Makes a great light lunch, a healthy side dish and it's perfect for potlucks and picnics.

What is Bulgur?

I never stop to marvel at the access to food I have today.  Foods that I never heard of growing up.  Like harissa, couscous or even pho.   You can also add bulgur to that list.

We are trying to eat more whole grains in our house.  I've found that I'm not a huge fan of whole wheat pasta, I think it's flavor sometimes overwhelms the sauce.  Wheat berries, rye berries, spelt, and whole wheat couscous are all good, but my new favorite is bulgur.   Bulgur originated in the Mediterranean and is a common ingredient in many Mediterranean recipes.

Bulgur is so easy to cook!  It is a wheat grain that has been cracked and partially cooked - making it extra easy for you to cook it.   To cook bulgur all you have to do is put it in a bowl, pour in boiling water, cover and soak for about 30 minutes.  That's it!

Ingredients in this Mediterranean Salad

• Bulgur - My favorites are Whole Foods 365 Bulgur and Arrowhead Mills Bulgur.
• Cucumber - seeded if not an English cucumber.
• Dried Cranberries - can substitute dried cherries.
• Green Onions
• Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
• Lemon
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Black Pepper

How to Make Bulgur Salad

Step 1 - Place bulgur in a bowl and top with boiling water.  Cover and let soak for thirty minutes.

Step 2 - Cut cucumbers into quarters and remove the seeds - I like to use a grapefruit spoon.

Step 3 - Thinly slice the cucumbers and green onion.  Finely chop the fresh parsley.

Step 4 - Remove cover and fluff bulgur.

Step 5 - Add cucumbers, cranberries, green onions, parsley and lemon zest (I just grate it over the bowl with microplane.)  Combine the lemon juice and olive oil in small jar and shake to combine.  Pour over salad and toss to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 6 - Serve!

Bulgur Salad with Dried Cranberries and Cucumbers

This salad is so good!!  The tart cranberries with the cool cucumbers and the nutty bulgur all work beautifully together.  Fresh parsley adds a pretty green color and an herby flavor.  The simple olive oil lemon juice vinaigrette is all this salad needs.  So simple and yet so delicious!  Once again, Cooking Light does not disappoint, this was in their November 2009 issue.

I served this along side a rotisserie chicken for two days in a row and on the third day, we had it by itself for lunch.  It was just as good on day 3 (maybe even better) than the first day, making this the perfect make ahead salad - and with no mayonnaise or dairy it's perfect for picnics and potlucks.

Looking for More Healthy Salad Recipes

Apple and Avocado Salad with Fresh Mint

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Spinach, Beet and Lentil Salad

You can find even more salad recipes on my Salad Pinterest Board!

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5 from 26 votes

Bulgur Salad with Dried Cranberries and Cucumbers

This Mediterranean Bulgur Salad comes together in about 30 minutes!  Prep the veggies while the bulgur soaks and toss everything with a simple and delightful lemon vinaigrette. 

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 156kcal

Author Pam Greer

Ingredients

• 1 cup bulgur dried
• 2 cups cucumbers seeded and chopped
• 1 cup cranberries dried
• ⅓ cup green onions thinly sliced
• 1 cup flat leaf parsley finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ⅓ cup lemon juice fresh
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

• Bring two cups of water to a boil.  Place bulgur in a large bowl, pour over the boiling water.  Cover and let soak for 30 minutes.  
• While bulgur is soaking, seed and slice the cucumbers.  Thinly slice the onions and finely dice the parsley. 
• Remove cover from bulgur and fluff with a fork.  Add cucumbers, onions, parsley, and cranberries to the bowl.  Zest a lemon over the bowl. 
• Juice the lemon into a jar or small bowl and add the extra virgin olive oil.  Whisk or put a lid on the jar and shake.   Pour the dressing over the salad, add the salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Notes

Variations:

• Bulgur - can substitute quinoa or couscous - just cook them according to their directions. 
• Dried cherries would also work.  
• Substitute kalamata olives for the dried cranberries. 

Tips

• Zest the lemon right into the bowl using a microplane (or similar) zester. 
• Use a grapefruit spoon to easily scoop out cucumber seeds. 

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 17.7mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1.1mg

This week I am linking up with:

Full Plate Thursday