This delicious bulgur salad is one of my favorites, combining a nutritious grain and fresh vegetables, with a Palestinian-inspired dressing for a superb, hearty salad. My mom always made bulgur instead of rice with our kebabs, and I truly prefer it! It is so good! This bulgar salad makes for a refreshing, really simple side dish to any meal. It is packed with nutrients and loads of flavor. It is bright, and leftovers taste even better!
I often make this Bulgur Salad for meal prep since it lasts for a solid 5 days in the fridge covered in an airtight container. So, make an abundance and eat it throughout the week as a healthy side dish to your meal! It really goes with everything. This is such a great way to get your grains and vegetables all in one dish, so you have a well-rounded meal.
What is Bulgur:
Bulgur is a nutty, quick-cooking grain that comes in different sizes and serves a variety of purposes. It is also known as cracked wheat or durum wheat, which has a slight chew. It is also nutrient-dense, making it a wonderful grain to keep in our diet. Not only is it packed with fiber, but it is also high in protein. You can find it in most stores, but especially in the International market or Arab grocers. You will notice fine bulgur, which is often used in dishes like kibbeh or tabbouleh. For this recipe, a coarse bulgur like #2 or #3 grind is preferred.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox.
How to make this Bulgur Salad:
It is really simple! First, get the bulgur cooking. Combine the bulgur and water in a 1:2 ratio, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes until cooked through. In this case, I like to add some extra flavor with tomato paste, curry powder, and a bouillon cube. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
In the meantime, you could have your veggies diced for the salad. I like to do a fine-to-medium chop for the tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, red onion, and bell pepper.
The dressing is very straightforward, highlighting Arab flavors like pomegranate molasses, dried mint, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and even some garlic if you’d like. I like to dress the bulgur with a bit of the dressing while it’s still warm, so the flavors absorb even more. Once the bulgur is at room temperature, I add the vegetables and toss them with the remaining dressing, then season well with salt. Cover and place in the fridge, and voila!
What to enjoy with Bulgur Salad:
As mentioned before, I especially love this salad for picnics or BBQs. It’s a wonderful make-ahead, hearty salad that can stand alone or pair well with a variety of proteins.
If Vegan, try adding some protein with a helping of chickpeas or beans.
If you enjoy your meat, try this salad alongside Beef Kofta Kebab or Grilled chicken.
If you have a gluten intolerance, substitute bulgur with quinoa, or try my Mediterranean chickpea salad or quinoa salad.
And if Hearty Salads are your jam, then check these out:
- Mediterranean Freekeh Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad
- Herby Potato Salad
- Cauliflower couscous salad
- Autumn couscous salad
- Greek Orzo Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
Please Leave a Review & Rating
I’m excited for you to try this delicious, hearty Bulgur Salad recipe! If you try my recipes, please leave a star rating and/or review in the comments section below. I love hearing from you. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below. You can share your remakes with me on Instagram!
Bulgur Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup Coarse Bulgur (cracked wheat) #3 on packaging
- 1 Bouillon Cube, crushed or 1 tbsp bouillon powder
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 tbsp Curry powder optional but adds great flavor
Salad
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 Persian Cucumbers finely chopped
- 1 Bell Pepper finely chopped
- 1 cup Parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 Red onion finely chopped
Dressing
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Lemon's Juice
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Dried Mint optional but recommended
Instructions
- In a pot, add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of bulgur. Add the curry powder, cushed bouillon, and tomato paste. Stir together. Bring to a boil then simmer for abrout 15 minutes until bulgar is cooked through.
- In the meantime, add all the chopped vegetables to the serving bowl.
- Also, make the dressing by combining the olive oil, dried mint, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and pomegranate molasses. Set aside.
- Once bulgur is cooked, add a quarter of the dressing to it while still warm so it can absorb the flavor well.
- Then, once the bulgur is room temperature, add the vegetables to it and stir with the remaining dressing. Cover and let this chill for at least an hour then serve. Enjoy!
I never knew I could enjoy burghul cold in a salad till I found this recipe! it is so so good and my husband was obsessed! all the flavors came together so well! loved it!
I’ve made this salad twice now in the last week. So filling and healthy and easy to make. It’s my new favorite salad!
I made this burghul salad today and it’s so delicious! The ingredients are healthy and work so well together. It’s addictive and can’t stop eating it! Great as a side dish especially with bbq!
Just made this salad and I’m in love!! The medley of flavors and colors in this salad make it very refreshing! Paired it with grilled steak and chicken for the perfect meal.
Thank you for making the recipe so easy to follow and quick to prepare. This salad will definitely be a staple in my home from now on; everyone loved it!
I love love this salad! It’s so easy and quick to make. Made it in the summer for our family BBQs and everybody loved it!
This was my first experience with bulgar and I absolutely loved it!
Thank you!
This salad is so unique and unlike anything I’ve ever had! Absolutely love it. It’s sweet, tangy, and perfect!
Thanks for the lovely review!
I made this recipe today and the whole family loved it!!! It’s so fresh and tasty and sooooo easy to make. It took me 20 mins total to put the whole thing together. Definitely something I’m going to make again!
Made this bulgar salad for my parents and they loved it! Very easy to make and absolutely delicious. Making it again tonight and will double to recipe because it was gone so quick the first time.
Love this! Quick, yummy, healthy, recipe!
Great! It is one of my favs.
In one week, I’ve made this salad twice, it’s so so so good! Absolutely delicious and perfect for the summer! Goes well as a side or with BBQ – easy to prep and hearty and filling!
Everyone needs to try this recipe! It’s so good I can’t even explain it, it’s so refreshing yet warm to your soul, I just love it so much I have to say it’s become one of my favorite things to eat!
Another excellent recipe! Not a big bulgur fan but really enjoyed this salad cold- the flavors and textures were so delicious. And it was a perfect side dish to our barba que. Will definitely add this to the rotation.
I made the bulgar salad for the first time today, and it was a hit! It delicious and so flavorful! I will be making this again for sure! Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes, they have been such a lifesaver for quick dinner options!
Made this today.. still can’t believe how delicious it was. The flavor combo is awesome! Thanks so much Fufu. Another amazing recipe. ♥️
This salad is fast becoming a staple for the summer!! I love to substitute cauliflower rice for the bulgur for a lower carb option!! But I keep everything else the same!! Thanks so much for the recipe Haifa
This was SO so delicious and easy to make, can’t stop eating it!
Perfect for summer and it’s super versatile, quick and easy to make.
Thank you Heifa! Xxx
Everyone needs to try and make this recipe it’s so refreshing and easy to make! I never knew bulgar could be so good. Wow amazing recipe!!
We loved this delicious burgul salad as a side to our grilled chicken kabobs. It was so refreshing and surprisingly flavorful. I wasn’t sure about cold burgul but it was a hit! I even enjoyed it the next day! Thanks Fufu!
Loveeeddd this recipe! Thank you for sharing with us.
I needed a side dish for a seafood dinner that I was making and I immediately remembered a burghul salad you made when you featured on watchmecook2day. By far the best salad I have ever tried and I will be making it again and again! We absolutely loved it! It was amazing and so are you! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!
My husband and kids loved this. I’m glad I made extra so I can eat it for the next couple of days. Very colorful and yummy and healthy 😋
I have tried a couple of your recipes and absolutely loved them all.
You’re definitely my new favorite food blogger ☺️
Thanks so much, Amjad! This is one of my favs salad. It is on repeat at my house!
I try to switch up my salads in Ramadan and made this quickly when we BBQ’d….the flavors, texture and omg the taste was to die for. I will be making this again, and again, and again!
Glad you loved it!! It is one of my favs with BBQ.
This recipe is absolutely delicious! So fresh, yummy, and healthy. An awesome pair to any protein! It comes together really quickly as well.
Thanks, Sarah!
This was truly one of the most delicious recipes I’ve ever made. I’m trying to better myself by incorporating more healthy meals into my diet. I was apprehensive but this bulgar salad was just what I needed to prove that healthy does not mean having to compromise on taste and flavour! I am obsessed with this salad and have shared it with several friends who have also made it; and are equally obsessed. Thank you infinitely for creating this!
Thank you for such a sweet review. I am so happy you enjoyed it!
It was absolutely delicious and I’ll be making it again. Heifa your recipes never disappoint❤️
Thank you, Heba!
I need the salad a few times and it’s been a big hit! So delicious and very healthy. I feel like it goes well with pretty much anything you make. Thank You Fufu!!
Thank you, Dana!
This salad is one of the bests I have tried. The combination of the ingredients is amazing and it all tastes great! This salad now became a side to many of main dishes such as bbq in our house. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
Thank God i found youou have very delicious and easy to make recipes, which i love, because i don’t have many time for cooking after a long working day.
I made the bulgar salad and my boyfriend was blown away!! 🙂
thank you for your sharing your amazing recipes 💗 i wished i would live near to you, so i could take cooking sessions.
My new favorite salad! Pairs very well with bbq and a great replacement for rice when you don’t feel like a heavy meal. Absolutely delicious!
That is how I like to enjoy it as well! I am happy you liked it!
I loved this salad.
Great flavours, lovely textures and easy to follow instructions.
Thanks, Annika!
hello haifa,
tried it yesterday, loved it. so many flavors. thank you so much for all those yummy recipes.
Made this a few times and its a hit everytime ! So refreshing !
This was insanely delicious. We all loved it, however my father wouldn’t stop talking about it for days until I made it again lol
Hi! Would love to try this recipe however I’m wondering if it has to be coarse bulgar?
Hi, yes! Coarse bulgur is recommended here as opposed to fine.
Such a great, filling and flavorful salad. Every time I make it, I get compliments. It’s easy to omit or add your vegetables of preference and it still works great! Always in rotation when having guests over or going somewhere.
I am so happy everyone enjoys it!
This salad is such a big hit with my family I’m always being asked to make it for gatherings! I’ve made it as a side dish to BBQ meats, salmon, and I’ve even eaten it as a healthy meal on its own. The flavors are bold and flavorful and I’ve added pomegranate and feta cheese for some extra texture. It’s so so good and refreshing!