Greek-Style Bulgur Salad

Bulgur Cooking Tips

Bulgur might not be as trendy as quinoa, but it deserves a spot in your salad rotation. 

Bulgur’s roots go way back to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, where it’s been a staple for centuries in dishes like tabbouleh and all kinds of grain bowls—long before grain bowls went viral on social media.

Bulgur comes from whole wheat kernels that get parboiled, dried and cracked into smaller pieces. That parboiling step is why bulgur cooks faster than many other grains.

There are FOUR main types of bulgur, based on how finely the wheat’s been cracked. 

FINE BULGUR is the tiniest — you just soak it in boiling water, and it’s ready in minutes. Similar to the way you cook couscous.

MEDIUM BULGUR has a little more chew and works in salads where you want some texture. 

COARSE BULGUR holds its shape beautifully after cooking, so it’s my pick for hearty salads and grain bowls.

And finally, there’s EXTRA-COURSE BULGUR with a texture closer to barley. I don’t see this often in stores, so I never use it.

Here’s my foolproof method for cooking bulgur:

Rinse 1 cup coarse bulgur in a mesh sieve under cold running water. Drain it. 
Bring 1-1/2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil in a medium pot.
Add bulgur and reduce heat to low. 
Cover and simmer for about 12 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated and bulgur is tender. This is basically how quinoa is cooked. 
Remove it from the heat, cover and let it sit for 10 minutes so it continues to steam. 
No pot-watching required—just a quick fluff with a fork, then let it cool completely and it’s salad-ready.

If you’re stuck in a quinoa rut, and don’t need a gluten-free grain, consider this your sign to mix things up. Bulgur is proof that good things come to those who wheat. 

(Ha ha! Greta laughs.) Comedy AND carbs! See what happens when you leave me alone with a microphone?