Bulgur Roasted Pepper Salad (Printable Version)

Nutty bulgur combined with sweet roasted peppers and citrusy orange dressing creates a fresh, vibrant dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup fine bulgur wheat
02 - 1 1/4 cups boiling water

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 large red bell peppers
04 - 1 small cucumber, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Citrus & Dressing

07 - 1 large orange, zest and juice
08 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
10 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 450°F. Place red bell peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, turning once, until skins are blistered and blackened. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel off skins, discard seeds, and slice into strips.
02 - Place bulgur in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over it, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork.
03 - Whisk together orange zest and juice, extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey or maple syrup, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Add roasted peppers, diced cucumber, finely chopped red onion, and chopped parsley to the bulgur. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to combine.
05 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like sunshine in a bowl, with the orange zest doing all the heavy lifting without you even noticing.
  • You can make it ahead and it actually gets better as the flavors marry in the fridge overnight.
  • Its filling enough to stand alone but plays well with grilled anything if youre feeding a crowd.
02 -
  • Dont skip steaming the peppers after roasting, or youll spend forever trying to scrape off stubborn skins instead of them sliding off effortlessly.
  • If your bulgur turns mushy, you added too much water, so measure carefully and resist the urge to peek under the cover while it hydrates.
  • The salad needs at least 10 minutes to chill so the flavors can mingle, but overnight in the fridge makes it taste like you planned ahead even if you didnt.
03 -
  • Zest the orange before you juice it, or youll be wrestling with a slippery, sticky fruit and regretting your life choices.
  • Taste the dressing before adding it to the salad so you can tweak the honey or vinegar to match your oranges sweetness, because citrus varies wildly.
  • If youre short on time, use jarred roasted red peppers, but drain them well and pat them dry so they dont water down the bulgur.

Go Back