Bulgur Salad with Cucumber and Dill Recipe
Bulgur salad with cucumber and dill is a light, Polish-style take on popular grain salads. It’s a bit like tabbouleh, but here dill and pickled or fresh cucumber take centre stage instead of parsley. It’s a great side dish for dinner or a standalone supper that you can easily pack in a lunchbox for work.
This salad combines the nuttiness of bulgur with fresh herbs and cucumbers for a light, refreshing dish that works both as a side and as a complete meal.
Chef's tips
Make sure the bulgur is completely cooled before adding the vegetables so they stay crisp. Taste the dressing and adjust the acidity with lemon juice depending on how sour your pickled cucumbers are.
How to serve
Serve chilled or at room temperature, sprinkled with extra dill. It pairs well with grilled chicken, fish or as part of a mezze-style spread.
Ingredients
- bulgur wheat about 1 cup of dry bulgur - 150 g
- water or vegetable stock for cooking the bulgur - 300 ml
- fresh cucumber large, firm - 1 piece
- pickled cucumbers medium, can be replaced with fresh cucumbers - 2 piece
- bell pepper for colour and crunch - 0.5 piece
- fresh dill finely chopped - 0.5 bunch
- chives finely chopped - 0.5 bunch
- oil - 3 tablespoon
- lemon juice or to taste - 1.5 tablespoon
- Sarepska or mild mustard adds a gentle heat - 1 teaspoon
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Rinse the bulgur in a sieve under running water. Transfer to a pot, cover with water or stock and lightly salt.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 10–12 minutes, until the bulgur absorbs the liquid and is tender but not mushy.
- After cooking, leave the bulgur covered for 5 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl and fluff the grains with a fork so they don’t stick together. Set aside to cool.
- Wash the fresh cucumber; if the skin is thick, you can peel it. Cut it lengthwise, remove the soft seeds with a teaspoon if it is very watery, then dice finely.
- Dice the pickled cucumbers finely. If they are very sour, you can squeeze out some of the brine.
- Wash the pepper, remove the core and seeds and dice finely.
- Rinse the dill and chives, pat dry and chop finely.
- In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice, mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until you get a smooth dressing.
- Add the fresh cucumber, pickled cucumbers, pepper, dill and chives to the cooled bulgur. Mix gently.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix again. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed.
- Refrigerate the salad for at least 20–30 minutes to let the flavours meld.
Storage
Sałatkę przechowuj w szczelnym pojemniku w lodówce do 3 dni. Przed podaniem wymieszaj, bo sos może opaść na dno. Nie nadaje się do mrożenia, bo ogórki stracą chrupkość.
