Summer is for salads!
This is one of my favorite salads! My mom always makes it for any picnic that we have in the summer. She also loves to double the recipe so there is a lot left over to eat during the week!
The bulgur makes it really filling, so it is perfect as not only a side dish, but for a full lunch or dinner.
The ingredients in this salad work wonderfully together and it tastes even better the next day after everything has a chance to marinate with each other!
Greek Bulgur Salad
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup bulgur
3 cups boiling water
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon lemon juice, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1-1/4 cup cooked cubed chicken breast
1-1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup Greek olives, halved
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup roasted red sweet peppers, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup red onion, chopped (I omit this!)
3 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Directions:
Place bulgur in a small bowl. Stir in the water, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Drain well.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, olives, red peppers, onion, and basil. Stir in bulgur .
In a small bowl, whisk the oil, oregano, pepper, cayenne, and remaining lemon juice and salt. Pour over bulgur mixture; toss to coat. Stir in cheese and add more for garnish, if desired.
I’ll be having this for lunch this afternoon. Maybe it will remind me of the picnics that I was at all weekend. Maybe it will make this day seem better. Maybe I can escape reality and still feel like it’s the long weekend.
We can only hope!