Sweet blueberries and cool cucumbers add contrast to this quick & easy salad that’s perfect for picnic season!

A friend of mine came over for the morning to hang out at the playground with me and my toddler. I thought it would be nice to pack a picnic lunch for us to enjoy while he ran around and hopefully tired himself out.

He seriously doesn’t appreciate naps as much as I do. Weirdo.

Anyway, I had this summery salad from the latest issue of Cooking Light, and I knew it would be perfect for our afternoon together.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on May 14, 2015 at 10:50am PDT

This salad is awesome! You can prep all of the ingredients while the bulgur cooks in hot water and still have time to spare. I didn’t even transfer the bulgur to a mixing bowl, I just took the saucepan off the heat and popped a lid on it. Easy peasy.

I’m a big fan of raw onions, but not everyone is, so soaking them in cold water for 10 minutes is an excellent way to take the bite off of them.

The feta is delicious in this recipe, but it would be fine without if you want to keep this vegan-friendly. It would also be good with some sliced steak on top, it you wanted to make it carnivore-friendly. Mmm…

My major note with this is that if you’re eating it as a meal, like we did, it makes about 3 servings. At least it did for us. I packed 2 to-go containers to take to the playground, and what’s in the small bowl pictured above is all that was left.

This salad is absolutely delicious, and would be great for a picnic or as a side dish for a big BBQ dinner. I’ll definitely be making this one again!

Blueberry and Feta Bulgur Salad with Mint Dressing

Yield: 8 Servings (3/4 cup per serving) 1x

Description

Sweet blueberries and cool cucumbers add contrast to this quick & easy salad that’s perfect for picnic season!

Scale

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup cracked bulgur wheat
3/4 cup mint leaves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups diced English cucumber
1 1/4 cups blueberries
3/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, and drained
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan.
Combine the boiling water and bulgur in a mixing bowl. Let mixture stand, covered, 25 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
Place the mint, oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a blender; process until pureed.
Use a fork to fluff the bulgur. Add the dressing, cucumber, blueberries, onion, and feta to the grains; toss to combine.

Notes

Recipe from Cooking Light June 2015

Calories 200
Fat 11 g
Satfat 2.4 g
Monofat 7 g
Polyfat 1.2 g
Protein 4 g
Carbohydrate 24 g
Fiber 5 g
Cholesterol 6 mg
Iron 2 mg
Sodium 236 mg
Calcium 68 mg

VARIATION
Tomato and Corn Bulgur Salad: Sub basil for the mint, halved cherry tomatoes for the cucumber, fresh corn kernels for the blueberries, and 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts for the feta. Sprinkle with 2 cooked and crumbled bacon slices. Serves 8 (serving size: 3/4 cup) CALORIES 212; FAT 13.4g (sat 1.9g, mono 7.9g, poly 2.7g); PROTEIN 5g; CARB 21g; FIBER 4g; CHOL 2mg; IRON 1mg; SODIUM 205mg; CALC 17mg