Wheat & Veggie Salad

A Mediterranean-leaning bulgur salad that lands somewhere between tabbouleh and a classic grain bowl. Cooked cracked wheat goes into the bowl with chopped tomatoes, cucumber, and purple onion, then gets dressed in a tangy yogurt-balsamic vinaigrette spiked with a touch of sugar to round out the acidity.

The yogurt dressing is what sets this salad apart from traditional tabbouleh. Where lemon juice and olive oil dress the Levantine version, this one uses fat-free yogurt for body and balsamic vinegar for both sweetness and tang. The sugar pulls those two together so the dressing doesn’t read as sour.

Bulgur is the unsung hero of grain salads. It cooks faster than rice, holds dressing better than couscous, and has a satisfying nutty-chewy texture that stands up to robust vegetables and bold dressings. Two cups of cooked bulgur is enough for a generous lunch salad for four.

Pro Tips

• Cook the bulgur until just tender. Overcooked grain turns mushy and absorbs all the dressing
• Cool the bulgur completely before mixing with the vegetables. Hot grain wilts the cucumbers and warms the yogurt
• Salt the chopped cucumbers and let them drain 10 minutes if they look watery. Soggy cucumbers thin the dressing
• This salad improves overnight. Make it ahead and let the flavors meld in the fridge

Variations

• Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons each of fresh chopped parsley and mint for a tabbouleh-bulgur hybrid
• Add crumbled feta or a can of drained chickpeas for protein and saltiness
• Substitute farro or quinoa for the bulgur for a different grain texture