Toasting pine nuts is simple but it can be tricky to get a perfectly even brown surface on all nuts. Always use a dry pan that is big enough for the pine nuts to fit in a single layer. Then, brown on low to medium heat, stirring and tossing them in the pan occasionally. Stop as soon as they smell nutty and are golden brown all over. Make sure to keep an eye on them at all times since they can burn rather quickly.
In our recipe for bulgur salad, we have outlined how to cook bulgur for salad by boiling it. This may have confused you as it may sometimes be prepared by simply soaking it in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.
The reason we recommend cooking it on the stove is that our recipe calls for the use of coarse bulgur which needs to be cooked for longer to ensure a fluffy and tender texture. If you substitute it for a finer variety, you can simply pour it into a bowl with a lid, pour boiling water from a kettle over it, and let it soak, covered with the lid, until it is done.
Making a Mediterranean bulgur salad with fresh and tasty ingredients is quick and simple with our easy recipe. Continue reading our answers to the most frequently asked questions about bulgur salad below to learn more about the dish.
Water
|
600 ml |
---|---|
Coarse salt
|
1 tsp |
Coarse bulgur (3 dl)
|
250 g |
Of chickpeas in brine (approx. 400 g)
|
1 can |
Dried apricots, in small cubes
|
100 g |
Snap peas, in halves
|
300 g |
Thawed, frozen extra fine peas
|
300 g |
Toasted pine nuts
|
50 g |
White cheese cubes in brine 3%
|
200 g |
Flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
|
3 dl |
Olive oil
|
1 tbsp |
Lemon zest (unwaxed), finely grated
|
1 tbsp |
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
|
3 tbsp |
Coarse salt
|
1 tsp |
Freshly churned pepper
|
Bulgur as well as chickpeas have a nutty and earthy flavour and a tender and slightly chewy texture. Both ingredients are incredibly easy to pair with a wealth of fresh herbs and vegetables. In this chickpea bulgur salad, we have chosen to put them together with crunchy snap peas, parsley, salty salad cheese, and a selection of other delicious ingredients to create a tasty salad.
If you are looking for other salads, we suggest having a look at our equally delicious salade Niçoise with tuna, eggs, and olives, our refreshing couscous salad with mint and watermelon, and our crispy fattoush salad with toasted bread.
The best bulgur salad recipes yield a lot of flavour and texture, and our chickpea and bulgur wheat salad is no exception. With a selection of lovely ingredients that each brings something unique to the dish, you will be surprised and delighted by every bite.
Like many other dishes from Mediterranean cuisine, this salad with bulgur wheat is dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon zest to ensure a well-rounded tasting experience.
Fresh parsley with its slightly peppery taste is known to brighten the flavours of other ingredients and stimulate your taste receptors.
This makes the combination of the mildly bitter herb, sweet apricots, and salty white cheese even more mouth-watering. The mix of chewy, soft, and crispy textures makes eating this wheat bulgur salad interesting as well as tasty, and the mix of sweet, salty, and herbaceous flavours is simply irresistible.
To ensure a flavour-packed bulgur salad with a lot of bite, always use fresh ingredients. Using fresh lemon and parsley, for instance, truly makes this salad's flavours pop!
The fresh lemon juice and zest brighten the dish by introducing a delicious acidity that complements the dish’s nuttiness, and fresh parsley elevates the flavour of the other ingredients. Adding to the nuttiness and bright flavours, toasting the pine nuts is well worth your time as it makes their nutty flavour even more pronounced and makes them even crunchier to bite into.
An easy way to mix this recipe up to keep it fresh and exciting every time is to mix up the herbs and vegetables you use. A classic among bulgur wheat salad ideas is the combination of cucumber, tomato, red onion, and mint. This traditional tabbouleh mix tastes wonderful with the nutty bulgur and chickpeas as well as the parsley.
You could also try experimenting with the seasoning. For a Middle Eastern salad with bulgur and parsley, try using our dukkah recipe to spice things up. Dukkah is a toasted, Middle Eastern spice mix with sesame seeds, almonds, coriander, cumin, and chilli that you can use to introduce a bit of heat into this delicious wheat bulgur salad.