A refreshing Bulgur Wheat Salad with Cucumber and Carrot, and a very simple Orange and Honey Dressing. It makes an ideal lunch or side dish for any meal, any day of the week.
This recipe is adapted from one of the side dishes I made while completing one of Leith's Cookery School Online Courses. Although my recipes are easy to make, I suggest you read through them and all my notes before you begin. It will save you time and disasters in the long run.
What You Need to Make this Bulgur Wheat Recipe.
- Bulgur Wheat - Large Couscous is fine as an alternative.
- Carrots - No need to peel the skins if you don't want to.
- Orange - Only use the Orange part of the skin for the zest. The white part of the skin can be very bitter.
- Onion - Using a Red Onion will add colour to the salad. I like to gently cook mine to avoid the strong onion taste when using them raw.
- Seasoning & Spices - Use your own palate, everyone's taste is different
- Cucumber - I've deseeded mine, but you can leave the seeds in if you wish. You can also remove the cucumber skin if it's not to your liking. But I think green adds colour to the salad.
- Herbs - You can use whatever you wish. Make sure their flavours complement each other and are not too overpowering.
- Honey - Set Honey is fine, see my tip below about warming it slightly to make it runny.
How to Make this Salad
Begin by adding the Bulgur Wheat to a medium pan with enough water to slightly more than cover the wheat grains. You don't want the pan to boil dry. Bring the water to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 mins. When cooked, drain and leave to cool. The Bulgur wheat should be nice and soft but not mushy.
Chop the onion into small pieces and gently cook in a medium pan with the Olive Oil until soft and translucent. This could take about 5 mins. Too high a heat will burn the onion and give the salad a bitter taste. TIP: Covering the onions with a small piece of baking parchment, will help the onions to steam gently.
Slice the cucumber in half lengthways, if you wish, you can deseed by scraping the length of the cucumber with a teaspoon, then slice into batons and finely cut into small chunks.
Add the cooled Bulgur Wheat to a large dish. Grate the carrot and add the cooked onions and diced cucumber. Mix all the ingredients together.
Roughly Chop the Mint and Parsley. To make the dressing, mix together the orange zest, orange juice, honey, and sumac. Add salt and pepper to taste. Tip: If you are using set honey, to make it slightly runny, very gently warm the honey in a small pan until it just begins to soften. Then add to the rest of the dressing.
Add the herbs and dressing to the rest of the Bulgur Wheat Salad ingredients and give everything a really good mix allowing all the flavours to be absorbed.
Serve as a simple lunch or with a savoury tart such as this Aubergine and Prosciutto Tart or serve with a selection of Bulgur Wheat Salads like this Bulgur Wheat Salad with Cucumber and Carrot.
Tips and FAQ's
- Covering the onions, while cooking, with a small piece of baking parchment, will help the onions steam gently.
- If you don't want to waste any of the Orange flesh, you could add some to the salad to give it more Orange flavour.
- If you are using set honey, to make it slightly runny, very gently warm the honey in a small pan until it just begins to soften. Then add to the rest of the dressing.
Bulgur Wheat is one of the easiest of the whole grains to cook and is very versatile. It comes from the cracked whole grain kernels of wheat which are parboiled then dried before packing. Source - The Spruce Eats.
It is often used as a base for the middle Eastern dish Tabbouleh and in salads along with fresh herbs and mixed vegetables. It is a good alternative to Couscous and can be used in a variety of mixed vegetable salads.
If covered well and in a suitable container, it will keep for up to three days in the fridge.
Some recipes may suggest it, but there isn't always the need to wash Bulgur Wheat before Cooking. If in doubt, go by what the packaging says.
Bulgur Wheat Salad with Cucumber and Carrot
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 75 g bulgur wheat or Large Couscous
- ½ red onion
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large or two medium sized carrots
- ½ cucumber
- 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
- 1 small bunch of mint
For the dressing:
- Zest and juice of one medium sized orange
- Pinch of ground sumac
- 1 teaspoon clear/runny honey
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Begin by adding the Bulgur Wheat to a medium sized pan with enough water to slightly more than cover the wheat grains. You don't want the pan to boil dry. Bring the water to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 mins. When cooked, drain and leave to cool. The Bulgur wheat should be nice and soft but not mushy.
- Chop the onion into small pieces and gently cook in a medium pan with the Olive Oil until soft and translucent. This could take about 5 mins. Too high a heat will burn the onion and give the salad a bitter taste. TIP: Covering the onions with a small piece of baking parchment, will help the onions to steam gently.
- Slice the cucumber in half lengthways, if you wish, you can deseed by scraping the length of the cucumber with a teaspoon, then slice into batons and finely cut into small chunks.
- Add the cooled Bulgur Wheat to a large dish. Grate the carrot and add the cooked onions and diced cucumber. Mix all the ingredients together.
- Roughly Chop the Mint and Parsley.
- To make the dressing, mix together the orange zest, orange juice, honey, and sumac. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the herbs and dressing to the Salad and give everything a really good mix allowing all the flavours to be absorbed.
Notes
- Covering the onions with a small piece of baking parchment while cooking will help the onions steam gently.
- If you don't want to waste any of the Orange flesh, you could add some to the salad to give it more Orange flavour.
- If you are using set honey, to make it slightly runny, very gently warm the honey in a small pan until it just begins to soften. Then add to the rest of the dressing.
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