Bulgur, yogurt and walnut salad (Kishke Khadra)
April 22, 2010 • Category: Salads
About a year ago, my son Nick announced he was going vegetarian. I thought sure you are; someone who ingests triple-decker cheese and bacon burgers for breakfast, lunch and dinner? he was serious. He turned into a health and nutrition nut and lost a ton of extra fast-food pounds.
To make his visits home more enjoyable, I wanted to fix things beyond the hummus, tabbouleh and falafel standbys.
This is a country-style dish enjoyed both in Lebanese and Syrian cuisine; if you use a food processor, you can make it in 15 minutes! While the bulgur swells up in hot water, you will chop chop chop all the vegetables in mere seconds; done!
Great summer salad, very refreshing!
Recipe adapted from: La cuisine de Ziryãb, de Farouk Mardam-Bey
INGREDIENTS: 4 servings
- 2 cups of lowfat yoghurt
- 3/4 cup bulgur, fine or coarse ( I used #4-coarse)
- 1 small onion, chopped fine or 3 scallions
- 2 cloves of garlic, mashed with a pinch of salt
- 50g of coarsely chopped walnuts (a small cup)
- 1/2 cup of parsley leaves chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon of dry mint or 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves chopped fine
- 1 jalapeño (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon of hot Aleppo pepper or any hot chili powder
- salt, olive oil
METHOD:
- Place a sieve over a bowl and place either a coffee filter or a paper towel on it. Pour the yoghurt and drain for 1 hour.
- Soak the burghul in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain then press to extract the extra water.
- Process the onion, parsley, mint, spices in the food processor; mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil on the salad if you wish. Serve.
Comments
48 Comments • Comments Feed
sweetlife says:
what a great salad i bet he wouldn’t miss meat sfter devouring this..love how it is creamy also
sweetlife
On April 22, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Jessica @ Healthy Exposures says:
This looks really great! Will need to give it a try – I’ve been enjoying these types of salads lately 🙂
On April 22, 2010 at 5:20 pm
theUngourmet says:
Good for your son! I’ve tried going veg but my family is full of carnivores. It’s really hard to cook separate meals.
This looks wonderful and I love the presentation as well!
On April 22, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Deborah says:
I don’t think I’ve ever had Lebanese food, but this makes me want to try it!
On April 22, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Stella says:
Ooh, healthy! I’ve never seen bulgur with yogurt-sounds rich yet healthful. I need to look at the Lebanese quesadilla now though, Deary Joumana!
On April 22, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Barbara says:
Joumana, this is wonderful! I really like salads made with bulgur and mint and walnuts are a great addition to your dish! Fun for you to experiment with vegetarian dishes for your son! And it benefits US!
On April 22, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Lindsey says:
I am so glad I stumbled upon your blog. After watching a travel show about Lebanon, I’ve been looking for a good Lebanese recipe source. I will definitely be back!
On April 22, 2010 at 8:22 pm
alagraham.com says:
wonderful recipe and beautiful photos!
On April 22, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Azita says:
this salad looks so wonderful and healthy! love these delicious 15 minutes recipes!
On April 22, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Soma says:
Walnut, mint, cumin, pepper and all things good. Mmmmm. i am such a sucker for mediterranean food. quick and so flavorful.
On April 22, 2010 at 9:36 pm
SYLVIA says:
Easy, crunchy, nutritious, a terrific refreshing blend of flavors, yet another fantastic, and creative, recipe from Joumana, many thanks.
On April 22, 2010 at 10:24 pm
peteformation says:
Nice to add yogurt to salad. Delicious!
On April 22, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Ivy says:
This sounds delicious. Something betweetn tabbouleh and tzatziki both of which I love so i will definitely try this.
On April 22, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Sasa says:
Agree with the Ungourmet – good on him! Especially when his mum cooks up stuff like this – bulghur is great, I love the texture.
On April 22, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Veggie Belly says:
what a great salad! very refreshing!
On April 23, 2010 at 12:00 am
Rosa says:
Yummy! I made a very similar salad the other day…
Cheers,
Rosa
On April 23, 2010 at 12:24 am
Devaki says:
Dear Joumana – I think I would faint if my son told me he was turning vegetarian (I think there is still time since he is 8 :)….what would I cook for him? I see I would have to come to you for advice and hopefully you would teach me more dishes like this amazing one.
What lovely flavors with the bulghar wheat, mint, yogurt & walnuts too…yum!
On April 23, 2010 at 12:44 am
Sushma Mallya says:
Such a beautiful salad, looks very healthy and love the spices used in it…
On April 23, 2010 at 12:55 am
Cherine says:
I’ve never tried this dish, but it really looks yummy and healthy !!
On April 23, 2010 at 1:14 am
Sridevi says:
This is the first time i have come across lebanese recipe…The salad looks delicious.
On April 23, 2010 at 2:46 am
Chef E says:
I love your presentation of this salad in the radicchio! One of my fav salad additions, and the recipe sounds like something I will try. I have not gotten into cooking Mediterranean recipes as much as I would like!
I try and go vegetarian during the week, but it can be a hard commitment, so kudos for going for it!
On April 23, 2010 at 4:47 am
peter says:
Bravo to Junior for going vegetarian. I could never totally give-up on meat but I am cutting down my meat intake.
On to your salad, this would be fab meze fare…I’m thinking crisp pita triangles to scoop up this salad/dip….you in?
On April 23, 2010 at 5:00 am
Angie's Recipes says:
Bulgur is such a healthy type of food! The salad sounds so satisfying and delightful.
On April 23, 2010 at 5:18 am
Not Quite Nigella says:
Yum! That looks amazingly good 🙂 And is he still a vegetarian or are the cheese and bacon burgers proving too irresistable? I’m sure if you serve him food like this then he will be!
On April 23, 2010 at 7:17 am
Michael Fenster says:
Fantastic,
Looks delicious and I am always looking for bulgur wheat recipes. Perfect fora summer lunchtime salad.
On April 23, 2010 at 8:00 am
Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie) says:
This is a hearty salad – easily a main course. I haven’t seen this recipe before.
On April 23, 2010 at 8:21 am
Marysol says:
Joumana, I make Tabbouleh (did I butcher the spelling?) often. But your bulgur salad shines well above mine. I like the addition of yogurt and walnuts, and the heat from the jalapeño. Three ingredients that reside in my fridge.
Congratulations to DS on his weight loss and the efforts made to improve his diet. My daughter is also a vegetarian.
Initially, I thought it was just a phase she was going through, but, she proved me wrong. And seven years later, she’s still going strong.
On April 23, 2010 at 9:48 am
5 Star Foodie says:
It looks and sounds terrific! I love your presentation!
On April 23, 2010 at 11:21 am
Chef Dennis says:
that looks really really good…I just ordered another 25 lb bag of bulgar wheat, this will make a great addition to the salad bar!!
My girls love to try new things
All the best
Dennis
On April 23, 2010 at 11:24 am
Sook says:
Wow, good for Nick! I’ve thought about going Vegetarian but I decided not to. But I have been eating much less meat lately so whenever I eat meat, it tastes a little weird to me now. 🙂 This salda looks amazing.
On April 23, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Katie says:
Inspires me to buy some bulgar…. And I may even gt out the food processor – I’m sure I have one somewhere…. Though, I actually rather enjoy the knife work…. It looks delish!
On April 23, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Krista says:
Oooo, I’m so excited to try this!! I’ve been going about 75% vegetarian and it’s been such fun! This will be a fabulous easy addition. 🙂
On April 23, 2010 at 2:19 pm
TastyTrix says:
Nick is very lucky to have you for a mom! I am sure he realizes that. What yummy dish, and good for him for making that switch!
On April 23, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Faith says:
This is a lovely salad! The walnuts in there are a wonderful addition…and I love their crunch!
On April 23, 2010 at 3:37 pm
The London Foodie says:
I love bulgur wheat but use it only in tabbouleh or kibbeh (love raw kibbeh!!!). This is a beautiful and delicious salad and I am so pleased to be extending my bulgur wheat repertoire by reading your fantastic blog!
On April 23, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Tim Vidra says:
What a beautiful and delicious post! Love the freshness and the note of lost “Fast Food Pounds”.
On April 23, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Marie says:
Another use for bulgar besides tabbouleh! I’m learning so many new and different things from your blog, all good!
On April 23, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Julie says:
J’adore cette salade, elle a l’air si rafraîchissante avec les herbes aromatiques et le yaourt. Elle est parfaite pour l’été!!
Gros bisous!
On April 24, 2010 at 5:24 am
Murasaki Shikibu says:
This sounds really good. I have a lot of Bulgur so I am going to try making this as soon as my mint grows into a bigger bush!
On April 24, 2010 at 9:23 am
Arlette says:
Yummy
I made Kishik from scratch two years ago, and I didnt even think of taking photos..Was before starting my blog… and the best part, was eating the kishik akhdar with lots of olive oil on pita…. oh yummyy
Shahaytini now…
On April 24, 2010 at 8:05 pm
shayma says:
love burghul- loads. i prefer it to couscous, in fact (*i did not just say that in public*). the fact that you used yoghurt, love that, too. beautiful presentation of the salad. and best wishes and good luck to your son, though, as a carnivore, i am hoping he’ll be back- with vegetables and burghul on the side, of course! xx shayma
On April 24, 2010 at 8:06 pm
heni says:
This is looks quite interesting, but then again all your recipes i have seen are just that Joumana! As Ivy said, it does look like a cross between tabouleh and tzatzki, had both but never thought of combining them – ingenious!
On April 25, 2010 at 1:31 am
Conor @ HoldtheBeef says:
This really looks delicious, and I love how it uses yoghurt instead of something like mayo. What a Mum you are 🙂
On April 25, 2010 at 8:33 am
Lori says:
Oh yum! Nice flavors.
On April 27, 2010 at 5:56 am
asma says:
hey you do wonders with yogurt, i m a instantaneuos fan of ur cooking
On May 1, 2010 at 6:52 pm