Vegetable Bulgur Salad with Tahini Dressing

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Bulgur is ideal for a salad you actually want to eat the day of, and again one or two later — one of those grains that actually improves as it absorbs dressing. This bulgur salad layers whole wheat bulgur with chickpeas, crisp Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, and a tangle of fresh herbs, all dressed in a tahini-lemon dressing spiked with red pepper and cumin.

It’s inspired by tabbouleh, which I think of as a side dish, only intentionally more substantial. Classic tabbouleh is herb-dominant — the parsley is the point, and the bulgur plays a supporting role. I flipped that ratio, using more grain, more protein from the chickpeas, and a dressing with enough body to hold everything together. I add feta cheese for its sharp, salty punctuation.

If you love this kind of Mediterranean pantry cooking, my classic Niçoise salad builds on the same theme.

What makes this more than a side dish

• The grain-to-herb ratio is intentionally reversed. Classic tabbouleh is mostly parsley with a little bulgur scattered through. This version leads with the bulgur — enough to make the salad genuinely filling without losing the bright, herby character that makes tabbouleh worth eating in the first place.
• Chickpeas are not just a garnish: I use a full can, which means real protein in every forkful and a texture that holds up against the crunch of cucumber and onion.
• The tahini dressing goes a long way: Lemon juice and zest, cumin, and a hit of red pepper give it enough complexity and creamy texture that doesn’t make a soggy salad. It’s the reason this tastes better on day two. Make my Mediterranean lemon tahini dressing if you want something even richer.
• Layering keeps everything distinct. Tossing a dressed grain salad immediately turns it uniform and soggy. Building it in layers — bulgur and chickpeas first, vegetables and herbs on top — means the textures stay separate until you’re ready to eat.

Bulgur — cracked whole wheat that’s been parboiled and dried — cooks in minutes and has more natural nuttiness than most refined grains. For this salad, medium-coarse bulgur is the my choice. Fine bulgur gets soft too quickly, but the medium grind holds its texture even after a day or two in the fridge. Cook it like pasta in well-salted boiling water, drain it thoroughly, and cool it before adding dressing: Hot bulgur soaks it up very quickly.

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Vegetable Bulgur Salad with Tahini Dressing

Karen Tedesco

Whole wheat bulgur, chickpeas, crisp vegetables and fresh herbs layered in a creamy tahini dressing spiked with cumin and red pepper. Substantial enough to serve as a main dish, and the flavors get even better overnight.

5 from 4 ratings

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 6 servings

Calories 309 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Dressing:

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine or rice vinegar
• 1 finely choppd garlic clove
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2-3 tablespoons cold water

Tabbouleh Salad:

• ¾ cup medium bulgur
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes (about 1 pound)
• 2 cups chopped English or Persian cucumbers
• 1 14-ounce can chickpeas drained
• 1 ½ cups crumbled feta cheese
• 4 green onions with 3 inches of green tops attached thinly sliced
• 2 – 3 cups baby arugula, spinach or torn Romaine lettuce leaves
• ¼ cup each fresh cilantro, parsley and mint leaves picked off the stem

Instructions

 

Make the dressing

• Put ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 finely choppd garlic clove, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt in a small mixing bowl or work bowl of a mini food processor. Let it sit for 10 minutes to dissolve the salt and mellow the garlic. Add ¼ cup tahini, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, and 2-3 tablespoons cold water. Whisk or process until the dressing is blended and smooth (add more water if needed to reach a thick, pourable consistency). Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Make the salad

• Fill a saucepan of water to a boil with salt to taste. Add ¾ cup medium bulgur and cook 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain, transfer to a shallow bowl or spread on a baking sheet to cool.
• Layer the ingredients into your bowl or container: Start with ½ cup of the tomatoes, followed by the same amount of bulgur, cucumber and chickpeas. Sprinkle with the cheese, some of the green onion, salad greens and herbs. Repeat until you've used everything. Pour the dressing over the top.

Video

Notes

• Store the salad in a large covered container in the refrigerator 3-4 days.
• Make individual servings for grab-and-go meals by layering the ingredients into small covered jars or meal-planning containers. 

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 11gFat: 21gSodium: 627mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5g

Keyword bulgur salad, bulgur wheat recipes, layered salad, make ahead salads, mediterranen salad, tabbouleh salad, vegetable bulgur salad

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Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

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Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.