Bulgur salad

June 1, 2015  •  Category: , , ,

Warmer days are here to stay and this salad has the advantage of being hearty yet light and suitable for warm weather. It is a simplified version of what the Armenian community in Lebanon introduced to the natives as itch. Whereas the original itch would include diced bell peppers and a medley of herbs, this one just sticks to chopped parsley. I used the large grade of bulgur (#4) because when cooked with olive oil it turns silky and soft and added walnuts. In Beirut, one can find parsley already chopped in plastic boxes in the local markets (for tabbouleh and other dishes).


Bulgur salad

Joumana Accad Mediterranean, Middle Eastern June 1, 2015 Main Dish, Salads, Mezze/Appetizers, Vegan, vegan, salad, bulgur, tagged,

4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Passive Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil extra virgin
1 cup bulgur coarse or medium #3 or #4
1/2 cup tomato paste or tomato sauce
1/2 cup red pepper paste or make your own
1 teaspoon salt to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder or hot paprika or Aleppo pepper
2 cups water or veggie stock
1 cup walnuts chopped coarsely
2 cups parsley Italian, chopped fine
1/2 cup green onion chopped fine (optional)
1/2 teaspoon allspice optional

Instructions

1. Place the bulgur, water, red pepper paste, tomato paste, oil and spices in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stir to combine and let the bulgur cook till small holes appear on the surface and the liquid has been almost all absorbed.

2. Let the bulgur rest uncovered till it dries a bit. If necessary, add more oil. Add the parsley and onion when cooled, stir to combine. Add the walnuts and combine. Serve immediately. This salad can be prepared ahead and frozen (without the fresh herbs or walnuts)



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Comments

11 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. giuliana says:

    Buonissimo il burgul, lo adoro!

  2. Rosa says:

    A great summer salad! delicious.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  3. Sylva T. says:

    Looks great! Thank you! We ❤️ bulgur at our house!

  4. James says:

    ummm its look tasty i like it

  5. Susan says:

    In a couple of months I will have my own tomatoes to use for lovely salads like this. Bulgar is wonderful!

  6. Alicia (foodycat) says:

    This looks lovely! I’ve never been a massive tabbouleh fan, so I am only now discovering all the much tastier things you can do with bulgar!

  7. Doc says:

    Since bulgur is cooked before it is dried, and will re-hydrate in 30-45 min (depending on whether it is #3 or #4) with equal parts boiling water, I am wondering the purpose of boiling it. It will take some time to cook and boil off some of the excess water, and more time to cool before you can make salad out of it so the time benefit seems marginal and you have to watch it, at least until you have perfected the timing.

    • Joumana says:

      @Doc: You are right, you can get almost identical results by rehydrate it in boiling water. The amount of time is the same, the only difference is that if you add other ingredients like red pepper paste or tomato paste, I prefer to boil it like a rice pilaf to make sure these ingredients mesh with the bulgur completely.

  8. Doc says:

    Got it. Thanks. I think I would mix the tomato paste and Alepo pepper with enough water to make a little more than a volume equal to the bulgur then microwave the liquid to boiling, mix in the bulgur, cover and let sit. I am going to give it a try.

    I suspect that it would work with all kinds of herb combinations – are there any pairings that you know of that don’t work well together? Perhaps rosemary in a salad would be a bit overwhelming, but mint, cilantro, parsley, maybe even a little oregano. Sorrel and/or watercress might also join the party.

    • Joumana says:

      @Doc: The pairing that I like the most is parsley or sage (in a small dose) or oregano or marjoram. In fact, the Armenians like to mix several herbs like mint, parsley and others to add to their itch. I LOVE to use green onions too!

  9. saras says:

    tnx for salad , this very buti

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