Vegan Bulgur Chickpea Salad
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Bulgur Chickpea Salad is the perfect vegan option to feed a crowd! This simple Mediterranean side dish is packed with olive oil, English cucumbers, red onion, and bell peppers for a colorful, healthy dish.
Everyone needs a few vegan recipes in their back pocket for potlucks and Meatless Mondays. This Vegan Bulgur Chickpea Salad is super light and flavorful with English cucumbers, red bell peppers, red onions, chickpeas, and a spritz of lemon juice!
When I first made this recipe, I needed something for a party with an ethical vegan guest. This was new to me, but a perfect fit for the party! I’ve made it many times since, and my family loved it.
It’s a great vegan salad for picnics, barbecues, potlucks, tailgates, and anywhere refrigerator space is limited! No need to drag a slow cooker or insulated food bag to the party. It’s the perfect simple side dish for BBQ ribs, too.
Ingredients
- Red bulgur
- Salt
- English cucumber
- Red bell pepper
- Red onion
- Chickpeas
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Parsley
You can swap the English cucumbers with regular cucumbers or the red bell pepper for another color. I love the pop of red mixed with red onions and red bulgur wheat.
What is Bulgur Made Of?
Yes, the title is spelled correctly. It is bulgur chickpea salad, not bulgar salad. You might be tempted to spell it bulgar, but the correct spelling of this grain is bulgur.
Simply, bulgur is cracked wheat. Bulgur wheat has a nutty flavor and can be served as a simple side dish, like rice or couscous. It’s is often used in baked goods, pilafs, and soups.
Since it’s whole wheat, bulgur is also a good source of fiber, protein, iron, and vitamin B6.
Bulgars with an a, however, were a semi-nomadic Turkic warrior tribe.
How to Make Bulgur Salad
- First, put the raw bulgur and some salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over the grains and let it sit for at least an hour. The bulgur wheat will swell a good bit during the soaking. When all the water is absorbed, fluff it with a fork. Let it cool to room temperature and fluff it again.
- Then, mix the chickpeas, red onion, red bell pepper, cucumbers, and lemon juice together and add to the bulgur. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a little more salt and chopped parsley.
You can serve this vegan bulgur salad cold or at room temperature! If you’re not on a vegan diet, you could also add some feta cheese to this Mediterranean salad.
What to Serve with Bulgur Salad
Craving ribs but not the ideal barbecue weather? These tender, juicy sous vide baby back ribs are the perfect winter dinner with no fuss.
Chicken is my favorite budget meal, and there’s no better summer dish than grilled chicken.
No matter what you’re grilling, a homemade barbecue sauce is always better than store-bought. This simple sweet and spicy sauce recipe is great on chicken, pork, beef, or even veggies!
Make your own rib rub, too!
More Yummy Party Food Recipes
- Ruby Tuesday’s Pasta Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Easy Baked Beans
- Homemade Kettle Chips
- Italian Pasta Salad
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Bulgur Chickpea Salad
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- Fork
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups red bulgur
- 3 cups water
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt divided
- ½ large English cucumber cut into quarters, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 large lemon
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small bunch of parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Place bulgur and half the salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Boil 3 cups of water in a pan or microwave. Pour boiling water over bulgur and stir, making sure all bulgur is underwater and salt is distributed.
- Allow bulgur to sit in water until water is absorbed, 60 to 90 minutes. Bulgur will swell considerably.
- If vegetables have not been chopped, prepare those while waiting.
- When bulgur is done, fluff with a fork and allow to cool.
- Once bulgur is cooled, fluff with a fork one more time.
- Add chickpeas, red onion, red bell pepper, and English cucumbers to the bowl. Mix well.
- Juice the lemons, and strain out seeds. Add to bulgur salad and stir well.
- Drizzle olive oil over the salad, and add the other half of salt. Mix well.
- Finally, add the parsley and again stir well. Taste and adjust by adding more lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and salt as desired.
Notes
- This salad may be served cold or at room temperature.
- Vegetables can be substituted with those of your choosing.
- Refrigerate leftovers, bringing it back to room temperature before serving if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may vary based on exact ingredients used. For accuracy, consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller
Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller is a food journalist, CEO of Pear Tree Kitchen, and co-creator of Food Blogger Help. She also has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a registered nurse licensed in the State of Oklahoma. When she has free time between writing, blogging, and cooking, she can be found volunteering as an RN with the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps.