Bulgur and Cucumber Salad

Another cold winter night in Maine got thinking about summer and those great summer grain salads, like Tabbouleh. We eat a lot of grains in our house especially quinoa, couscous and barley, but I hadn't played much with bulgur, so decided to use it to put together this simple yet delicious play on the traditional Tabbouleh.

Bulgur and Cucumber Salad

1/4 cup bulgur
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 cup chopped english cucumber or seeded regular cucumber
1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
2 scallions, sliced thin
1/2 tsp of lemon zest
1 rotisserie chicken from your local store or 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked


It seems that a little bulgur goes a long way and makes a total mess when you drop in on the floor. I put the grain in a bowl and fired up the stove. More on the stove later. Once the tea kettle sang, I added 2 cups of the boiling water over the bulgur and covered the bowl with plastic wrap and threw a kitchen towel over it for good measure. I assume you can overcook bulgur, but I just let it sit until I finished prepping the rest of the meal.

Add the lemon juice and oil the another larger bowl, then add your salt, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, scallions and parsley. Mix. Once the bulgur is cooked, (10 minutes or so), add to the veggie mixture and mix well.

Add your zest and if you don't have a microplan, get one! You'll love it.

This would be a great side dish, but if you want it to be a meal, as I did, slice up your cooked chicken breast and divide it among the plates. Done!

Great recipe that is very adaptable to your dinner or lunch needs, so please try it! It's a good one!

(4 servings/395 calories per with chicken)