Loaded Tabbouleh (Bulgur) Salad

I went through my pantry yesterday and figured I would cook with whatever ingredient I pulled out first. That ingredient happened to be… bulgur! Now, if you haven’t cooked with bulgur I highly recommend it, it’s such a neat grain!

Bulgur is made from parboiled cracked wheat berries and is a good source of fibre, protein, folate, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, potassium and selenium and plant chemicals called phytosterols that help fight disease. That being said, you could easily substitute some other grain for the bulgur in this recipe such as couscous or quinoa, just adjust the cooking to the instructions on the package.

I took the liberty of whipping up this hearty salad (which is really a jacked up version of a Tabbouleh salad) that keeps super well in the fridge for a day or two…making it perfect to pack for your lunch or prepare ahead for an easy dinner!  You could top it with a filet of seared or broiled salmon or chicken if you wanted to, but it’s perfectly healthy and complete just as-is and even satisfies my manly husband!  Charles and I arm wrestled over the mint: I love it but he preferred it without (disclaimer, he doesn’t like it in any salad).  Hey, it’s your salad, the choice is yours my friends!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 c. bulgur
• 4 c. vegetable or chicken stock or water
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 4 c. arugula or baby spinach
• 1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• handful of mint leaves, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 red, yellow or orange peppers, diced
• 1/2 c. pitted kalamata olives
• 2/3 c. feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
• 1 long English cucumber, diced
• 3 green onions, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 can chickpeas (540 ml), drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. In a medium pot combine the bulgur with the stock or water.  Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the bulgur is soft to the bite.  Remove from the heat and drain any excess liquid.  Set aside to cool.
2. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar in a small bowl.
3. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients together, including the bulgur, toss to combine and add the salad dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle extra oil if you feel that it needs a bit more moisture.