Bulgur Wheat Salad with Roasted Summer Veggies

Name: Bulgur Salad with Roasted Summer Veg
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 cup burgul wheat ((approximately 180 grams)); 2 cups boiling water; 1 tsp cumin powder; Pinch of salt; 2 medium eggplants (aubergine) ((approximately 750 grams)); 2 medium green zucchini (courgettes) ((approximately 350 grams)); 4 pattypan squash ((approximately 250 grams)); 1 red capsicum (red bell pepper) ((approximately 250 grams)); 1 red onion ((approximately 150 grams)); ½ cup olive oil; 1 lemon medium; 1 cup chopped mixed herbs ((I used parsley, mint and basil)); ¼ cup olive oil; ⅓ cup lemon juice; Sea salt and cracked black pepper

This bulgur wheat salad is ideal for summer picnics or entertaining, make it a day ahead, fire up the BBQ and spend time with your guests, not in the kitchen.

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Quite simply this bulgur salad is tabouli on steroids! Gorgeous summer vegetables are roasted until golden and sweet then added to nutty bulgur with lemon, oil then fresh herbs are added at the last minute to make a delicious aromatic salad that is just perfect for summer picnics, to make for large groups or to food prep for lunches throughout the week.

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You Will Need

Labelled bulgur salad ingredients with text.

How to Make IT

Step 1 – Prep Your Burgul

Before prepping your burgul, preheat your oven to 200ºC (400ºF).

Unlike other grains burgul does not need to be washed or rinsed as this will make it soggy.

Place one cup of burgul wheat in a medium-sized bowl add a pinch of salt and one teaspoon cumin powder.

Add two cups of boiling hot water to the burgul and stir.

When you are cooking burgul you need to make sure that you use twice the amount of liquid as burgul. No more as it will become soggy, no less as it will not become tender but remain hard.
Bulgur continues to swell if moisture is present, it more than doubles in volume, so make sure to use a large enough bowl.

Bulgur covered in water in a white bowl.

Cover with a plate and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.

After that time it should fluff up and soften.

You can also make your burgul on the stovetop if you do not have the time to let it soak, just place your burgul in a small saucepan add 2-3 cups of water add a pinch of salt, then bring to a boil, simmer and cook until tender approximately 10-12 minutes.
Prepared bulgur can be refrigerated or frozen in containers for later use.

Step 2 – Prepare Your Veg

While your burgul is soaking and your oven is heating.

Wash your vegetables, trim the ends of the eggplant, zucchini, pattypan squash and red onion.

Remove the papery skin from your red onion and the core and seeds from your capsicum.

Cut all your vegetables into small dice.

Eggplant that has been cut into a small dice on a wooden board with a knife. — DICE EGGPLANT

Zucchini that has been cut into fine dice on a wooden board with a knife. — DICE EGGPLANT

Step 3 – Roast Your Veg

Line two large baking trays with baking paper, place the diced eggplant on one tray, and the rest of the vegetables on a second tray.

Make sure that the vegetables are spread out in a single layer, so that they roast evenly, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil, use ¼ cup for each tray.

Diced raw eggplant on a lined oven tray.

Check on them regularly and stir so that they cook evenly.

While your vegetables are roasting, wash your herbs, shake and pat dry then chop roughly.

Chopping herbs with a knife on a wooden board.

When they are golden brown and soft (approximately 30-40 minutes) take them out.

Diced summer veggies on a lined baking tray.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on each tray. Doing it when they are hot allows the lemony flavour to be easily absorbed by the vegetables – yum!

Hand squeezing lemon juice over hot diced summer veggies.

Step 4 – Assemble the burgul wheat salad

After your burgul has been soaking for 30 minutes, fluff it up with a fork.

Fluffing up cooked bulgur wheat with a fork in a white bowl.

Add the ¼ cup oil and ⅓ cup lemon juice to your burgul and season, this will allow the burgul to soak up the flavours.

In a large mixing bowl, add your burgul, your roasted diced vegetables, your chopped herbs, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Prepared Bulgur Wheat salad ingredients in a white bowl.

Mix your bulgur salad until it is well combined, taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.

Mixing bulgur wheat salad in a white bowl with a spoon.

Arrange your burgul salad in a bowl, serve and enjoy immediately or if you have the time allow the flavours to develop for ½ an hour or so.

An aerial view of bulgur salad in a ceramic bowl with salad servers.

Serving Suggestions 🍽

Another salad that has graced our table many a time especially when entertaining

Burgul, burghal, bulgur, bulgar or whatever way you prefer to spell it originated in the Mediterranean and is a Middle Eastern staple grain.

An edible cereal grain made from dried, cracked wheat (most commonly durum wheat) that has been partially cooked so that it can be prepared relatively quickly.

Once cooked its texture is similar to cooked couscous or quinoa and it has a rich nutty almost caramel-like flavour.

large groups. Great for barbecues, I love it with grilled chicken breasts, anything with lamb, tagines and roasts. You could also add some grilled halloumi or some salty feta for some added deliciousness.
Try it with…

Tips and Questions

What is Burghul?

Burgul, burghal, bulgur, bulgar or whatever way you prefer to spell it originated in the Mediterranean and is a Middle Eastern staple grain.
An edible cereal grain made from dried, cracked wheat (most commonly durum wheat) that has been partially cooked so that it can be prepared relatively quickly.
Once cooked its texture is similar to cooked couscous or quinoa and it has a rich nutty almost caramel-like flavour.

Can Bulgur Salad Be Made Ahead?

Absolutely, in fact this salad is at its best if you allow the flavours to develop, I will usually make this salad the day before and leave the herbs out to add to the salad just before serving.

You can cook the bulgur the day before and keep it an air tight container in the fridge.
You can chop and roast your veg the day before and chop the herbs and assemble on the day.

How to Food Prep This Salad

This burgul salad is great to food prep for your lunches during the week and makes a great base for shredded chicken, flaked salmon, grilled halloumi or crumbled feta.
For food prep soak the bulgur, roast the veg and combine with oil then place in individual containers.
Make sure your herbs are dry before chopping as this will prevent them discolouring then just add them on the top, of the salad in your containers.

Suitable Diets

This is a vegan and vegetarian salad that can also be made gluten-free by using quinoa instead of bulgur.