If Greek salad and tabbouleh salad had a baby, it would be this bulgur wheat salad recipe. It’s the perfect combination of Mediterranean flavors in each bite!  

I spent 14 years cooking for Los Angeles celebrities and other clients who wanted to eat healthy. For many, that meant the Mediterranean diet, which includes lots of whole grains, like bulgur wheat.

I came up with lots of ways to incorporate grains into dishes, and this delicious bulgur wheat salad was one of the most popular.

BulgUr Wheat Salad Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are a few tips on purchasing, prepping, and substituting for some of the main ingredients.

Bulgur Wheat

While bulgur is a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, in my neighborhood, bulgur is hard to find in the grocery stores (even Whole Foods). However, the local Mediterranean market has a whole aisle full of bulgur wheat!

Bulgur wheat is a healthy whole grain and comes in different degrees of coarseness. Since it’s the main ingredient here, I use coarse bulgur wheat as opposed to what you’d find in a traditional tabbouleh, which uses fine grain.

Cooking bulgur wheat is simple. Cook it (Step 1 below) before you prep your veggies so that the bulgur wheat has time to cool.

Olive Oil & Lemon Juice

The simple dressing for this grain salad relies on a high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Likewise, use fresh squeezed lemon juice instead of bottled. You won’t be sorry!

Fresh Parsley and Mint

Fresh herbs here are a must. I prefer the taste of flat-leaf parsley, aka Italian parsley, to curly parsley.

Cucumbers

Small Persian cucumbers are my pick here. The seeds are so small, I just leave them. If you use an English cucumber or regular cucumber, consider seeding it.

Tomatoes

I am on a Campari tomato kick. Whatever variety you choose, make sure they are ripe tomatoes. They will be so sweet and easy to seed. My second choice would be grape or cherry tomatoes.

Onions

I love red onions for their flavor and color. They also help distinguish this dish from tabbouleh, which uses green onions.

Bulgur Wheat Salad Recipe

Servings: 8

Ingredients  

3 cups water or vegetable broth
1½ cups coarse bulgur wheat
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 
1½ tablespoon lemon juice 
½ teaspoon kosher salt 
½ teaspoon black pepper 
½ teaspoon minced garlic 
¼ teaspoon dried oregano 
1 cup chickpeas, canned, drained 
1 cup chopped cucumber 
1 cup seeded, chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped red onion 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 
½ cup chopped Italian parsley 
½ cup crumbled feta cheese 

Instructions  

1. Cook your bulgur wheat ahead so it has time to cool. Boil water in a medium saucepan. Add the bulgur and stir. Simmer for 2 minutes, cover, and turn off heat. Let the bulgur sit covered for 10 minutes or until it soaks up all the water. Fluff with a fork and cool.

2. In a small bowl, make the dressing. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano, and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add your 3 cups of the cooked bulgur wheat, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, mint, parsley, and feta, then toss everything together.

Bulgur wheat ingredients ready for mixing

4. Pour the dressing over the bulgur mixture, and toss again.  

5. Say, "Wasn't that easy!”

Serving Bulgur Wheat Salad

One of the things that makes this one of my favorite bulgur wheat recipes is its flexibility. You can serve it cold or at room temperature, and as a main course, appetizer, or side dish!

Main Course

Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl and serve bulgur wheat salad as a main course. I love using chickpeas as a protein source and keeping this dish vegetarian. If you want to add another protein on top like chicken, shrimp, or steak, it’s hard to go wrong.

You can serve your bulgur wheat salad solo, or with some hummus, caponata, tzatziki, Dakos salad, and/or vegetable skewers.

Appetizer

This bulgur salad can be added to your Mediterranean mezze. Choose a few other southern European or Middle Eastern dishes, and you’ll have a lovely spread.

Here are a few Greek appetizers that will go great with your bulgur wheat salad!

Side Dish

Make this recipe as a side dish to just about any Mediterranean entree. It pairs wonderfully with Mediterranean Lamb Chops,  Greek Meat Pie, Frittata di Pasta, Urfa Kebabs, Greek meatloaf, and grilled meats and seafood.

Variations 

If you want a more traditional salad, you can add this to chopped romaine lettuce or arugula to make a salad with more greens.

I prefer bulgur wheat here, but if you have celiac disease or are wheat sensitive, you can substitute quinoa or brown rice.

When you want to change it up a bit, add pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, or pistachios.

Prep Ahead  

If you’d like, you can prep your bulgur wheat up to 5 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. For best results, add the veggies the day you are serving your salad.