This bulgar salad is one of our go-to side dishes. For those unfamiliar with bulgar, bulgar is a grain that is made from cracked wheat. It tastes like a hybrid between quinoa and rice, with a little bit more of a crunch and texture to it. It is also cooked similarly to quinoa and rice, by boiling it in water. There are many different ways to prepare bulgar. For this recipe, we serve the bulgar cold and load it with veggies and serve it as a side dish, like a salad. You can easily add a protein or additional vegetables to this dish to bulk it up a bit and serve it as a main course. It will store great as leftovers for weekday lunches as well!

Mediterranean Bulgar Salad
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients for the Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Ingredients for the Salad:

• 1 cup bulgar
• 2 cups water
• salt
• 1 English cucumber
• 1 container cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 red onion
• 3/4 cup feta cheese
• 1 cup parsley, diced

Directions:

1. Prepare the dressing. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
2. Bring two cups of water to a boil. Add the bulgur, lower to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered in the pot for another 10-15 minutes.
3. Prepare your vegetables. Chop the cucumber, tomato and red onion into bite sized pieces. This does not need to be perfect!
4. Combine the bulgar, vegetables, feta and parsley in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss until the dressing is fully incorporated.