Bulgur, yogurt and walnut salad (Kishke Khadra)

April 22, 2010  •  Category:

About a year ago, my son Nick announced he was going vegetarian. I thought  sure you are; someone who ingests triple-decker cheese and bacon  burgers for breakfast, lunch and dinner? he was serious. He turned into a health and nutrition nut and lost  a ton of extra  fast-food pounds.

To make his visits home  more enjoyable, I  wanted  to fix things  beyond the hummus, tabbouleh and falafel standbys.


This is  a country-style dish enjoyed both in Lebanese and Syrian cuisine; if you use a food processor, you can make it in 15 minutes! While  the bulgur  swells  up in hot water, you will chop chop chop all the vegetables in mere seconds; done!

Great  summer salad, very refreshing!

Recipe adapted from: La cuisine de Ziryãb, de Farouk Mardam-Bey

INGREDIENTS:  4  servings

  • 2  cups of   lowfat yoghurt
  • 3/4  cup   bulgur, fine or coarse ( I used #4-coarse)
  • 1 small onion, chopped fine or 3 scallions
  • 2  cloves of garlic, mashed with a pinch of salt
  • 50g of coarsely chopped walnuts (a small cup)
  • 1/2 cup of parsley  leaves chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon of dry mint or 1/4 cup of fresh mint  leaves chopped fine
  • 1 jalapeño (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon of hot Aleppo pepper or any hot chili powder
  • salt, olive oil

METHOD:

  • Place a sieve over a bowl and place either a coffee filter or a paper towel on it. Pour the yoghurt and drain for 1 hour.
  • Soak the burghul in  hot  water for  20 minutes. Drain then press to extract the extra water.
  • Process the onion, parsley, mint, spices in the food processor;  mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil on the salad if you wish.  Serve.

 




Comments

48 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. sweetlife says:

    what a great salad i bet he wouldn’t miss meat sfter devouring this..love how it is creamy also

    sweetlife

  2. Jessica @ Healthy Exposures says:

    This looks really great! Will need to give it a try – I’ve been enjoying these types of salads lately 🙂

  3. theUngourmet says:

    Good for your son! I’ve tried going veg but my family is full of carnivores. It’s really hard to cook separate meals.

    This looks wonderful and I love the presentation as well!

  4. Deborah says:

    I don’t think I’ve ever had Lebanese food, but this makes me want to try it!

  5. Stella says:

    Ooh, healthy! I’ve never seen bulgur with yogurt-sounds rich yet healthful. I need to look at the Lebanese quesadilla now though, Deary Joumana!

  6. Barbara says:

    Joumana, this is wonderful! I really like salads made with bulgur and mint and walnuts are a great addition to your dish! Fun for you to experiment with vegetarian dishes for your son! And it benefits US!

  7. Lindsey says:

    I am so glad I stumbled upon your blog. After watching a travel show about Lebanon, I’ve been looking for a good Lebanese recipe source. I will definitely be back!

  8. alagraham.com says:

    wonderful recipe and beautiful photos!

  9. Azita says:

    this salad looks so wonderful and healthy! love these delicious 15 minutes recipes!

  10. Soma says:

    Walnut, mint, cumin, pepper and all things good. Mmmmm. i am such a sucker for mediterranean food. quick and so flavorful.

  11. SYLVIA says:

    Easy, crunchy, nutritious, a terrific refreshing blend of flavors, yet another fantastic, and creative, recipe from Joumana, many thanks.

  12. peteformation says:

    Nice to add yogurt to salad. Delicious!

  13. Ivy says:

    This sounds delicious. Something betweetn tabbouleh and tzatziki both of which I love so i will definitely try this.

  14. Sasa says:

    Agree with the Ungourmet – good on him! Especially when his mum cooks up stuff like this – bulghur is great, I love the texture.

  15. Veggie Belly says:

    what a great salad! very refreshing!

  16. Rosa says:

    Yummy! I made a very similar salad the other day…

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  17. Devaki says:

    Dear Joumana – I think I would faint if my son told me he was turning vegetarian (I think there is still time since he is 8 :)….what would I cook for him? I see I would have to come to you for advice and hopefully you would teach me more dishes like this amazing one.

    What lovely flavors with the bulghar wheat, mint, yogurt & walnuts too…yum!

  18. Sushma Mallya says:

    Such a beautiful salad, looks very healthy and love the spices used in it…

  19. Cherine says:

    I’ve never tried this dish, but it really looks yummy and healthy !!

  20. Sridevi says:

    This is the first time i have come across lebanese recipe…The salad looks delicious.

  21. Chef E says:

    I love your presentation of this salad in the radicchio! One of my fav salad additions, and the recipe sounds like something I will try. I have not gotten into cooking Mediterranean recipes as much as I would like!

    I try and go vegetarian during the week, but it can be a hard commitment, so kudos for going for it!

  22. peter says:

    Bravo to Junior for going vegetarian. I could never totally give-up on meat but I am cutting down my meat intake.

    On to your salad, this would be fab meze fare…I’m thinking crisp pita triangles to scoop up this salad/dip….you in?

  23. Angie's Recipes says:

    Bulgur is such a healthy type of food! The salad sounds so satisfying and delightful.

  24. Not Quite Nigella says:

    Yum! That looks amazingly good 🙂 And is he still a vegetarian or are the cheese and bacon burgers proving too irresistable? I’m sure if you serve him food like this then he will be!

  25. Michael Fenster says:

    Fantastic,
    Looks delicious and I am always looking for bulgur wheat recipes. Perfect fora summer lunchtime salad.

  26. Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie) says:

    This is a hearty salad – easily a main course. I haven’t seen this recipe before.

  27. Marysol says:

    Joumana, I make Tabbouleh (did I butcher the spelling?) often. But your bulgur salad shines well above mine. I like the addition of yogurt and walnuts, and the heat from the jalapeño. Three ingredients that reside in my fridge.

    Congratulations to DS on his weight loss and the efforts made to improve his diet. My daughter is also a vegetarian.
    Initially, I thought it was just a phase she was going through, but, she proved me wrong. And seven years later, she’s still going strong.

  28. 5 Star Foodie says:

    It looks and sounds terrific! I love your presentation!

  29. Chef Dennis says:

    that looks really really good…I just ordered another 25 lb bag of bulgar wheat, this will make a great addition to the salad bar!!
    My girls love to try new things
    All the best
    Dennis

  30. Sook says:

    Wow, good for Nick! I’ve thought about going Vegetarian but I decided not to. But I have been eating much less meat lately so whenever I eat meat, it tastes a little weird to me now. 🙂 This salda looks amazing.

  31. Katie says:

    Inspires me to buy some bulgar…. And I may even gt out the food processor – I’m sure I have one somewhere…. Though, I actually rather enjoy the knife work…. It looks delish!

  32. Krista says:

    Oooo, I’m so excited to try this!! I’ve been going about 75% vegetarian and it’s been such fun! This will be a fabulous easy addition. 🙂

  33. TastyTrix says:

    Nick is very lucky to have you for a mom! I am sure he realizes that. What yummy dish, and good for him for making that switch!

  34. Faith says:

    This is a lovely salad! The walnuts in there are a wonderful addition…and I love their crunch!

  35. The London Foodie says:

    I love bulgur wheat but use it only in tabbouleh or kibbeh (love raw kibbeh!!!). This is a beautiful and delicious salad and I am so pleased to be extending my bulgur wheat repertoire by reading your fantastic blog!

  36. Tim Vidra says:

    What a beautiful and delicious post! Love the freshness and the note of lost “Fast Food Pounds”.

  37. Marie says:

    Another use for bulgar besides tabbouleh! I’m learning so many new and different things from your blog, all good!

  38. Julie says:

    J’adore cette salade, elle a l’air si rafraîchissante avec les herbes aromatiques et le yaourt. Elle est parfaite pour l’été!!

    Gros bisous!

  39. Murasaki Shikibu says:

    This sounds really good. I have a lot of Bulgur so I am going to try making this as soon as my mint grows into a bigger bush!

  40. Arlette says:

    Yummy

    I made Kishik from scratch two years ago, and I didnt even think of taking photos..Was before starting my blog… and the best part, was eating the kishik akhdar with lots of olive oil on pita…. oh yummyy
    Shahaytini now…

  41. shayma says:

    love burghul- loads. i prefer it to couscous, in fact (*i did not just say that in public*). the fact that you used yoghurt, love that, too. beautiful presentation of the salad. and best wishes and good luck to your son, though, as a carnivore, i am hoping he’ll be back- with vegetables and burghul on the side, of course! xx shayma

  42. heni says:

    This is looks quite interesting, but then again all your recipes i have seen are just that Joumana! As Ivy said, it does look like a cross between tabouleh and tzatzki, had both but never thought of combining them – ingenious!

  43. Conor @ HoldtheBeef says:

    This really looks delicious, and I love how it uses yoghurt instead of something like mayo. What a Mum you are 🙂

  44. Lori says:

    Oh yum! Nice flavors.

  45. asma says:

    hey you do wonders with yogurt, i m a instantaneuos fan of ur cooking

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