Bulgur Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
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Chewy, nutty bulgur wheat is the star of the show in this loaded Bulgur Salad! Packed with fresh and dried fruit, nuts, avocado, and goat cheese, this is a hearty vegetarian salad that’s great for lunch or a light dinner.
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Powerhouse Bulgur Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
After a holiday season filled to the brim with goat cheese puff pastry bites and Andes Mint cookies and caramel monkey bread, I can hear my body give me a gentle nudge. There’s no judgment or shame in it, just a gentle, “Hey there, friend, how about some greens? Some whole grains perhaps? Can I interest you in a crisp apple?”
I’m thankful for seasons filled with feasting and festive indulgence, and I’m also thankful for routine, and big chopped salads and vegan lentil soup.
This Bulgur Salad is one of my go-tos for days I’m craving something nourishing and hearty and fresh. I absolutely cannot abide a boring salad, and this one is anything but. It’s packed with stuff–whole grains and greens and fruits and cheese, so after you’ve eaten it, you feel satisfied, not deprived.
We finish it off with a zesty orange vinaigrette that brightens and harmonizes everything together.
Bulgur Salad is a great recipe to keep on hand for meal prepping. It’ll keep well in the fridge for several days!
What Is Bulgur Wheat?
Bulgur is a criminally underrated whole grain that tastes like a cross between brown rice and quinoa. It is made from cracked whole grain wheat kernels that have been parboiled, then dried before packaging.
Because it is parboiled, this grain cooks quickly (in about 15 mintues) and has a satisfying, nutty chew that quinoa can only dream of.
Bulgur is also high in fiber and has a decent amount of protein, so it’ll keep you full for longer. Bulgur is the main ingredient in tabbouleh salad and also works well in the morning as a substitute for steel cut oats. Try it in this cozy banana breakfast bulgur!
Key Ingredients
Bulgur– Look for whole grain bulgur. Most bulgur you’ll find in a grocery store will be a coarse grain. That’s what you want! I used Bob’s Red Mill Red Bulgur.
Kale– I’m not a big kale eater, but it does have its place (like in this Sweet Potato Sausage Kale Soup!). Massaging kale for a few minutes removes its brittle toughness and allows us to add some some hearty greens without them being the main event.
Apple– Pick a crisp, sweet tart apple for this salad. Pink Lady and Cosmic Crisp are both slow-browning apples. You can also soak the apples in salt water to keep them from browning. See how here.
Pecans– You can use any kind of pecans, but roasted, salted pecans are my favorite for salads!
Dried cranberries– The perfect pop of tangy sweetness.
Goat cheese– Creamy, tangy, so satisfying. Substitute feta or omit it to make the salad vegan.
Avocado– Again, we’re going for satisfaction, and a creamy avocado has it in spades. Not only do they taste great, they’re also packed with healthy fats.
Orange Vinaigrette– You can absolutely buy a store bought vinagirette, but we love this homemade one! It would also be great with our maple balsamic dressing.
How to Make Bulgur Salad
Step 1: Cook the bulgur. Place the bulgur and water in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat to a simmer, and cook 11-12 minutes, or until tender.
Step 2: Massage the kale. Place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle with a little vinaigrette. Rub the kale between your fingers for 1-2 minutes, or until it is wilted and dark green.
Step 3: Add toppings and vinaigrette and toss.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
- The salad can be eaten right away, but I like it even better when it’s had a few hours (or even overnight!) to chill in the fridge. The gives the kale a chance to soften a bit and the orange vinaigrette a chance to soak into all the other ingredients.
- This salad keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- NOTE: I don’t recommend adding the avocado until right before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Bulgur salad is great for experimenting! Make it your own with your favorite fruits, veggies, and nuts or use whatever you have on hand. Here are some ideas:
- Substitute the apple for mandarin orange slices.
- Try adding pistachios or walnuts instead of pecans.
- Use dried cherries or fig instead of dried cranberries.
- Substitute feta for the goat cheese.
- Experiment with different dressings. A balsamic vinaigrette would also be lovely.
- Add grilled chicken or bacon for a little extra protein.
More Main Dish Salad Recipes to Try
- Copy Cat Panera Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
- Shrimp Taco Salad
- Black and Blue Salad
- Doritos Taco Salad
Powerhouse Bulgur Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup bulgur
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups torn kale leaves
- 1 apple (chopped)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 avocado (pitted and chopped)
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese (optional)
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/2 navel orange (juice and zest)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the bulgur in a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and allow the mixture to simmer for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Drain off any excess liquid. If you want to serve the salad cold immediately, rinse the bulgur with cold water. Otherwise, you can let it cool on its own.
- Place the orange juice, olive oil, balsamic, honey, ginger, and salt in a jelly jar with a tight lid and shake it up until fully combined, about 1 minute. Taste, and season as needed.
- Place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle a small amount of the orange vinaigrette over top. Rub the kale leaves between your fingers for 1-2 minutes, massaging it until it softens.
- Toss the cooked bulgur in the bowl with the kale, apples, pecans, cranberries, avocado and goat cheese (if desired). Pour the remaining vinaigrette over everything and stir to combine. Serve warm or chill for several hours or overnight.
Notes
- Serves 6-8 as a side dish or about 4 as a hearty main dish.
- This dish keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days. Do not add the avocado until ready to serve.
Does the grind of the bulgar affect amount of ingredients? I used medium grind and the salad seemed sparse on the accompanying ingredients and the dressing…
WOW! This is one gorgeous salad. I many not give up my desserts, but I sure will add a yummy salad into the mix!
Happy New Year, Courtney! I’m going to be following you very closely this next month because my eating repertoire is seriously lacking in delicious, healthy recipes. I’ve never tried bulgar but reading your description makes me wanna run out and boil a bag of ’em right now. This salad looks delicious – I feel healthier just looking at your photos 😉
I’ve never been a diet person mainly because I have no will power and I get really grumpy when I’m hungry, but after the holidays I’m actually craving healthy, light foods. So nice to eat something fresh and crunchy after all the gooey/sugary stuff. Definitely give bulgur a try-it’s delicious! I hear you can cook it like oatmeal too. That’s next on my list.
My mouth is watering reading this! I’m gonna go ahead and say that the goat cheese and avocado would NOT be optional in my version. And sure, maybe it defeats the healthy angle just a little bit, but I might put some bacon in mine too. I just found a big jar of bulgur in the back of my pantry cupboard this morning, so I’m going to make a big batch of this for lunches for next week! Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Amen Lori. Goat cheese and avocado should never be in the optional category. I’m super lame and have never tried bulgar. Can you find it at the regular grocery store Courtney?
Yeah, Karen! I usually buy mine at Kroger. It’s with the Bob’s Red Mill products in the Organic section of the store.
The goat cheese and avocado would definitely take it to the next level. If I weren’t so lazy I would have ran to the store to get some on the spot. 🙂
I LOVE bulgur and I totally agree, it does not make its presence known quite like the ubiquitous quinoa! Kind of like farro, it’s a little unsung and I think that needs to be rectified! Love the balsamic vinegar in this dressing!
Farro is another grain I really want to try more of this year. Do you have any recipes for it?
I just saw this question, so sorry I’m only getting back to you now! We substituted farro for rice in a chicken casserole the other day and it turned out fantastic. It was a recipe where I was just kind of winging it, so I don’t have anything written down, but if I make it again I’ll let you know. I also added a handful of farro to a kale salad with pomegranate and bacon at Thanksgiving this year and it went over like gangbusters! This is the link for the salad: http://omeletta.com/index.php/pom-kale-farro-bacon-salad/
Thanks Ruthy! I remember seeing that salad. It sounds fantastic. Definitely going to give this farro stuff a try!