Kısır bulgur salad

Turkish fine bulgur salad soaked with tomato paste, then tossed with parsley, mint, lemon and chickpeas. Makes 4.

  • Lazy AF
  • Vegan
  • Middle Eastern
  • Lunch
  • Side
  • Legumes
  • Meal prep
  • High fiber
Hands-on
20 min
Total time
30 min, show breakdown
  • Prep 25 min
  • Cook 0 min
  • Clean up 5 min
Pans
0
Ingredients
13
Cost/serving
$1.98

Per serving

Calories
331
Protein
11 g
Fiber
13 g
Net carbs
36 g
Fat
13 g

High in (% Daily Value per serving): Vitamin K 248%, Vitamin C 43%, Magnesium 25%, Iron 22%, Folate 21%

Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.

Already vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free.

Ingredients for 4

Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.

  • 1 cup bulgur wheat, dry (140 g), fine (No. 1)

    Same amount as: 240 mL.

  • 1 cup water (240 g), just boiled

    Same amount as: 240 mL.

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (32 g)

    Same amount as: 30 mL.

  • 1 can canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (240 g)

    Same amount as: about 1½ cups.

  • 2 medium tomatoes (246 g)
  • ½ medium cucumber (150 g)
  • 4 medium green onions (60 g)
  • 1 cup fresh parsley (60 g)

    Same amount as: 240 mL.

  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves (8 g)

    Same amount as: 120 mL.

  • 3 tbsp olive oil (40 g)

    Same amount as: 45 mL.

  • 3 tbsp lemon juice (45 g)

    Same amount as: 45 mL, 1 lemon squeezed from fresh lemons.

  • 1 tsp ground cumin (2.1 g)

    Same amount as: 5 mL.

  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (0.9 g)

    Same amount as: 2 mL.

  • salt, to taste

Find alternative ingredients

Quantities are for 4 servings. Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Taste again before serving; it often needs more lemon and salt.

Nutrition Facts

4 servings per recipe

Serving size 1 plate (317 g raw)

NutrientPer serving% DV*Whole recipe
Calories331
Total fat13 g16%
Saturated fat1.7 g9%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Sodium309 mg13%
Total carbohydrate49 g18%
Dietary fiber13 g45%
Total sugars4.7 g
Net carbs†36 g
Protein11 g21%
Vitamin D0 mcg0%
Calcium98 mg8%
Iron4 mg22%
Potassium651 mg14%
Vitamin A114 mcg13%
Vitamin C39 mg43%
Vitamin E2.6 mg18%
Vitamin K298 mcg248%
Thiamin (B1)0.17 mg14%
Riboflavin (B2)0.12 mg10%
Niacin (B3)2.9 mg18%
Vitamin B60.31 mg18%
Folate83 mcg21%
Vitamin B120 mcg0%
Magnesium105 mg25%
Zinc1.6 mg15%
Selenium2.7 mcg5%

Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.

* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.

Steps

  1. Put the bulgur and tomato paste in a large bowl. Pour the just-boiled water over it and stir until the paste dissolves. Cover with a plate for 15 minutes.

    Done looks like: Water all absorbed; grains soft with no hard center when you bite one.
  2. While it soaks, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Dice the tomatoes and cucumber small. Slice the green onions. Chop the parsley and mint fine.

  3. Fluff the bulgur with a fork. Add the oil, lemon juice, cumin, pepper flakes and salt. Rub it through with a fork for a minute.

    Done looks like: Every grain evenly red and glossy, no clumps.
  4. Add the chickpeas, vegetables and herbs. Toss. Taste and add salt, lemon or pepper flakes.

Equipment

Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50

What to look for

  • Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
  • Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years

Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.

Cutting board $10–30

What to look for

  • At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
  • Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher

Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.

What goes wrong

WhatCauseFix
Bulgur still crunchyCoarse bulgur, or the water wasn't hot enough.Add 2–3 tbsp more hot water, cover and wait 10 minutes. Coarse bulgur needs cooking, not soaking.
Soggy, wet saladJuicy tomato and cucumber seeds.Scrape out the watery seeds before dicing, and add the vegetables close to serving.

Notes

Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.