This herby bulgur salad is one of my simpler recipes, but the flavor profile is anything but basic.
This healthy bulgur salad recipe is a combo of green lentils, bulgur wheat, an exorbitant amount of mint and parsley (I love my herbs), and some chopped pistachios for crunch. Plus, I paired it with a very cumin-forward dressing that ties everything together so well!
But this salad keeps on delivering. Not only is this dish flavors galore, but it’s also packed with micronutrients, and over 16g of fiber and 20g of protein per serving (this salad serves two if you’re serving it as the main dish).
It’s safe to say that this herby bulgur wheat salad will be on repeat in my kitchen throughout summer (and maybe even into fall)!
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Herby Bulgur Salad
Consider this your grocery list!! You need 12 ingredients total for this salad, which is pretty minimal compared to the majority of my salad recipes lol.
- Green lentils
- Bulgur wheat
- Herbs: Including fresh parsley and fresh mint
- Roasted unsalted pistachios
- Olive oil
- Honey or maple syrup
- Lemon juice
- Fresh garlic
- Spices: Including cumin seeds, coriander, and kosher salt
Quick Bulgur 101
Ok, let’s chat bulgur wheat.
Bulgur wheat is a Mediterranean whole grain made from hard red winter wheat berries that are usually processed to break down the outer husk. Beyond origins, I would describe bulgur wheat as nutty, chewy, and earthy!
I did want to point out that there are four main types of bulgur: fine, medium, coarse, and extra coarse. However, most grocery stores, like Whole Foods, Sprouts, etc., sell fine-grain Italian bulgur wheat (which I used in this recipe).
How To Cook Bulgur Wheat
Let’s get into how to cook bulgur wheat, specifically fine-grain bulgur wheat. My ratio of water to grain is for every 2 1/2 cups of water, use 1 cup of bulgur wheat – so a 2.5:1 ratio. Quick note, technically you don’t need to cook fine-grain bulgur, you can soak it until it’s tender and fluffy. However, I prefer to cook it.
So here’s how to cook bulgur wheat for this recipe.
- Pour 1/2 cup of bulgur wheat into a large saucepan and rinse well.
- Pour in 1 1/4 cups of water and a large pinch of salt. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil on high heat. Once the bulgur has reached a roiling boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
- Once the bulgur is tender and fluffy, drain any excess water and return to the stove. Cover the pot with the lid and let sit and steam for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before you serve it!
A Few Notes…
- Feel free to serve this salad both warm or cold. It tastes great either way. I love enjoying this dish on its own for lunch or dinner, but you can also treat it as a side dish by pairing it with a Mediterranean-esque meat or fish dish.
- This herbed bulgur salad is meal-prep friendly. Simply make the salad as directed, but leave the dressing on the side, and toss it together when you’re ready to serve. It’s the ultimate work/school lunch.
- Speaking of prepping this salad, it stores well for up to 3 days in a glass tupperware in the fridge. You can eat it cold straight from the fridge or reheat it at 300°F on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 6-8 minutes.
If you have any questions at all, please comment below or DM me on Instagram. And if you’re looking for similar salads to this one, highly recommend making my spicy roasted cauliflower salad.
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Herby Bulgur Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
This herby bulgur salad is a combo of lentils, bulgur wheat, mint, parsley, and pistachios, paired with a cumin-forward dressing that ties everything together so well!
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry french green lentils
- 1/2 cup fine-grain bulgur wheat + 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup firmly packed minced parsley
- 1/4 cup firmly packed minced mint
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted pistachios
Dressing aka Tadka
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or butter
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1–2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Begin by cooking the lentils. Cook the lentils as you would pasta. Fill a large pot with water and pour in the lentils (make sure there is 2-3 inches of water above the lentils). Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-high, cover partially with a lid and let the lentils cook until tender, but still firm. There should still be a bite to them still! My lentils took about 25 minutes to cook, but keep in mind that yours could take a little more or less time so start checking them around the 15-20 minute mark. Once the lentils are done cooking, drain in a colander or sieve and rinse them thoroughly with cold water.
- Cook the bulgur wheat (it’s a similar process to cooking rice). Pour the bulgur wheat into a large saucepan and rinse well. Then pour in the water and a large pinch of salt. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil on high heat. Once the bulgur has reached a roiling boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Once the bulgur is tender and fluffy, drain any excess water and return to the stove. Cover the pot with the lid and let sit and steam for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before you serve it!
- Prep the herbs and pistachios. While the lentils and bulgur cook, prep the herbs and pistachios and dump into a large serving bowl.
- Add in the lentils and bulgur. Once the lentils and bulgur are don, add them both into the serving bowl and set aside.
- Make the dressing or tadka. In the pot you used to cook the bulgur wheat, add in the olive oil or butter, along with the honey, garlic, cumin seeds, and coriander. Gently heat the mixture on medium heat until it begins to gently bubble, stirring as needed. Remove from the heat and pour over the salad. Finally, squeeze over the lemon juice and finish with a generous teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Toss the salad together and adjust salt as needed before serving!
Best salad ever. Make it every night for my family!
MADE MY DAY!! Thank you so much for leaving a review, appreciate it!