Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipe Turkish Bulgur Salad

Recipe courtesy of Vivian Lee, PPMNY Culinary Empowerment Coordinator

Similar to rice or couscous, bulgur is an ancient grain that originated in modern day Turkey, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. It’s light and nutty and works perfectly in a salad or pilaf.

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 4 cups coarse bulgur, cooked

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, diced
  • 5-6 T tomato paste
  • 2 T lemon juice or vinegar
  • 1 tsp paprika powder
  • ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped

For the tzatziki

  • ¾ cup cashew nuts

  • 1 cup cooked or canned white beans
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 5-7 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

For the salad

1. Sauté onions in water until translucent. Add the red bell pepper and carrots to sauté for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic for a minute.
2. In a large bowl, place the cooked bulgur. Combine with sautéed vegetables and tomato paste.
3. Allow to cool, then mix in lemon juice or vinegar, paprika powder, and parsley.
4. Enjoy immediately with tzatziki sauce or cover and refrigerate overnight for bolder flavors!

For the tzatziki

1. Soak the cashews in boiled water.
2. Grate the cucumber. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer.
3. Blend cashews, white beans, water, and lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Add the cucumber, garlic and salt. Store in a container and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or longer.