Quick and Easy Bulgur Salad

To me, summer is all about refreshing ingredients with subtle herby aromas and that's why I decided to experiment with one of my old-time favourite grains and create a delicious bulgur salad.

The first time I tried bulgur salad was on a plane from Doha to Berlin. Gosh, I loved every single spoonful of it. Think filling grains hugged by fresh herbs and a zesty flavour of lemon, topped with a sweet pomegranate seed kisses. It's literally perfection in a bowl. So here's my take on the bulgur salad, a now summer favourite here in the family.

What exactly is Bulgur?

Glad you asked because I love telling you all about grains. I think it's important for us to know what we eat and get back to our old ways and learn more about good food and natural ingredients. I used to buy processed food from the supermarket and not even question the ingredients. It looks good, it tastes good, that's enough right? Well we are what we eat so for about 2 years now, I've been paying close attention to wholefoods and real ingredients. Even if it's processed food (like olive oil, for example) I like to understand how it's done.

So, back to bulgur and my bulgur salad. Bulgur is a cereal food made from the cracked parboiled groats of several different wheat species.

Bulgur originates in Middle Eastern cuisine but it is used in Mediterranean and Eastern European cuisine. Bulgur is versatile, filling and let's face it: super delicious. Because it's so easy to cook and use, it's ideal for quick lunches. All you need is to prep the bulgur in advance and toss some chopped veg, herbs and lemon juice on top.

How to make bulgur salad

To save time, I normally make 500g of bulgur in one go and store it in the fridge in an air-tight container. Then, for the next few days, I simply take some out, add my favourite toppings and voila: I have a bulgur salad in a matter of minutes,

When I said bulgur is super versatile, I meant it. Fancy a sweet and aromatic bulgur salad? Replace onions with dried apricots and add just half a bell pepper to the recipe. You can also replace the parsley with fresh mint. The idea is to get creative.

However, out of all the summer bulgur salads I made, this recipe is the most loved in our household. You will need: bulgur, boiling water (or vegetable stock), onion, red pepper, parsley (chopped and whole leaf for decoration), pomegranate seeds, lemon juice and a little salt.

Cook the bulgur according to the pack instructions. In general, 1 cup of bulgur calls for 1 3/4 cups of water. Instead of boiling water I always use vegetable stock. This gives more flavour to the bulgur. I simmer the bulgur in vegetable stock for about 10 minutes, then let it stand for another 10, covered.

In the meantime, I sauté the onions and chop the bell pepper. In a large bowl, I combine the sautéd onion, the chopped pepper, the parsley, the bulgur and the lemon juice. I mix well, taste and adjust the lemon juice or the salt if needed. Mix again, serve in a bowl and decorate with pomegranate seeds and parsley leaves. That's it. You can serve it as a side or as a quick main for lunch. It's perfect hot or cold, depending on what you fancy. Enjoy!

This recipe has been developed entirely by Yuzu Bakes. Any resemblance with other recipes is purely coincidental.

Easy Bulgur Salad

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• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total: 20 mins
• Serves 4 people

Categories: Lunch, Salad, Sides Cusine: East European, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Description

A super easy Bulgur salad with red peppers and pomegranate seeds. This Bulgur salad is refreshing and can be served as a main or side dish. It's flavour packed and can be consumed hot or cold.

Ingredients

(USA / Metric)

• 1 cup bulgur
• 1 3/4 cup vegetable stock
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 medium bell pepper
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup seeds pomegranate
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (or more if you want a more intense taste)

Instructions

• 1. Combine the bulgur, salt and vegetable stock in a saucepan. You can also use boiling water instead of vegetable stock if you prefer. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce the heat and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside, covered, for around 10 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the chopped onion for 3-5 minutes until translucent. Add the onions to a large bowl, then add the chopped pepper, the chopped parsley and the bulgur. Add the lemon juice and mix well with a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust the salt/lemon juice if needed. Mix again. Decorate with pomegranate juice and fresh parsley leaves and serve cold or hot.
  3. Refrigerate any leftovers in an air-tight container and consume within 3-5 days.

Nutritional Information

Total Nutrition Facts

Serves 4 people

Amount Per Serving
Calories 83
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1 g			1%
	Saturated Fat 0 g		1%
	Trans Fat 0 g		0%
	Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
	Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg			0%
Sodium 446 mg			19%
Total Carbs 18 g			7%
	Dietary Fiber 4 g		14%
	Sugar 6 g		11%
Protein 3 g			6%
Vitamin A 7% Vitamin C 61% Calcium 2% Iron 7% Vitamin D 0% Magnesium 7% Potassium 5% Zinc 5% Phosphorus 7% Thiamin (B1) 7% Riboflavin (B2) 4% Niacin (B3) 6% Vitamin B6 12% Folic Acid (B9) 0% Vitamin B12 0% Vitamin E 3% Vitamin K 107%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice

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