Herby Bulgur Salad
A vibrant, herb-packed salad featuring tender French green lentils, fluffy bulgur, and crunchy pistachios, making it perfect as a main dish, side, or make-ahead lunch.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1/2 cup dry French green (Puy-style) lentils
- 1/2 cup fine-grain bulgur wheat plus 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup firmly packed minced parsley
- 1/4 cup firmly packed minced mint
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted pistachios
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or butter use butter for a richer finish
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1–2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed is best
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse and cook the lentils: Fill a large pot with water so there are 2–3 inches above the lentils. Add the lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-high, cover partially, and simmer until tender but still with a bite — start checking at 15–20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking; set aside.
- Rinse and cook the bulgur: Put bulgur in a saucepan, rinse, then add 1 1/4 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to medium-low, cover partially, and cook 15 minutes until tender. Drain any excess water, return to the pot, cover, and let steam off heat for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- While grains cook, mince parsley and mint and chop pistachios. Add them to a large serving bowl.
- Add the drained lentils and fluffed bulgur to the serving bowl. Toss gently to combine.
Dressing
- In the pot used for the bulgur, heat olive oil or butter over medium. Add honey (or maple), minced garlic, cumin seeds, and coriander. Warm just until it begins to gently bubble and the spices are fragrant — don’t burn the garlic. Remove from heat.
- Pour the warm spiced oil over the bulgur and lentils. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice and about 1 tsp kosher salt. Toss well and taste. Adjust salt, lemon, or honey as needed. Serve warm, room temp, or chilled.
Notes
For gluten-free, swap bulgur for quinoa or millet. Use maple syrup for a vegan option instead of honey. If you prefer a softer lentil, add a couple more minutes of cook time. The salad keeps well in the fridge and tastes better the next day.