Herbed Bulgur and Lentil Salad

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4.2 of 5 (235)

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Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 159.2

Total Fat: 7.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 300.4 mg
Total Carbs: 21.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.7 g
Protein: 4.8 g

View full nutritional breakdown of Herbed Bulgur and Lentil Salad calories by ingredient

Introduction

This recipe is part of "The SparkPeople Cookbook." Order your copy today! This salad is even better the longer it sits in the fridge, so we love to make a big batch of it and eat it throughout the week.
This recipe is part of "The SparkPeople Cookbook." Order your copy today! This salad is even better the longer it sits in the fridge, so we love to make a big batch of it and eat it throughout the week.

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 20

Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 c dry lentils, preferably green or yellow

2 c water

1 c dry bulgur

1 c boiling water

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 t salt

2 T mint, chopped

2-3T dill, chopped

fresh black pepper, to taste

1/4 c parsley, chopped

1/3 c red onion, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, diced

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

Optional additions (calories not included in total but are noted below):

1/2 c crumbled feta cheese (add 25 calories, 2 g fat per appetizer-size serving)

1/2 c niçoise or other black olives (add 10 calories, 1 g fat)

1 tomato, diced

1/2 c walnuts, toasted and chopped (add 50 calories, 5 g fat)

squeezable wedges of lemon, for garnish

Directions

Wash lentils. Place in a medium-sized saucepan, cover with water, and bring just to the boiling point. Turn the heat down, partially cover, and allow to simmer without stirring for 20 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain well, and then transfer to a large bowl.

(Note: If using yellow or pink lentils, adjust cooking time to 15 minutes.)

While the lentils are cooking, place the bulgur in a small bowl. Add boiling water, cover with a plate, and let stand 10 to 15 minutes.

Add everything to the lentils, except tomato chunks, walnuts, and lemon wedges if using. Mix gently but thoroughly. Cover tightly and refrigerate.

Just before serving, top with tomatoes and walnuts. Garnish with lemon wedges.

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Member Ratings For This Recipe

HSBINMD

Very Good

54 of 56 people found this review helpful

Added feta, kalamata olives and drained capers. Delicious. My husband loved it too. Due to a little overcooking, my consistency was perfect for molding each serving using a small measuring cup. Looked professional! Will make again. With added ingredients serving was 3/4 cup. - 10/15/09
LILLYBELLE5

34 of 42 people found this review helpful

Tried this tonight after preparing today and substituting quinoa for bulgur. - 12/29/09
JEANNETTE59

Incredible!

28 of 29 people found this review helpful

English or seedless cucumbers make a great addition to this dish. - 4/27/10
MABEHR40

Incredible!

25 of 26 people found this review helpful

The mix of flavors and textures is phenomenal...i left out the garlic and celery and added diced tomatoes and black olives and feta. Very Mediterranean! Reminds me of tabulli! Try this one!
PS I used red lentils and they cooked VERY quickly...10 minutes and they were almost too soft. - 5/5/10
PANSYLADY2

Incredible!

16 of 17 people found this review helpful

I made a double batch of this salad with all the add-ins and minus the lemon juice. I added some other herbs. I took it to a potluck meal and church, and there was nothing left but the empty bowl. People wanted recipes and were raving about the taste. Will definitely make this again! - 8/29/10
SSHBOOKWORM

Very Good

13 of 15 people found this review helpful

This was great and easy to make. I'd never tried bulgur before, but it was easy to use and added nice texture. The nutrition was a great bonus. - 4/28/10
CD7056031

Incredible!

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

I've also tried it with quinoa, and cilantro instead of parsley - it's great! - 6/16/10
GHALYAA

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

I made it last night - yumm! These are healthy staples in Middle Eastern culture... I left out the zaatar (thyme / sumac) which is what I might usually put in, however, it was still great! Also, I used a little bit of Himalayan Pink Salt instead of sugar... Cold is the way to go! thks for sharing! - 4/28/10
DIANNADZ

Incredible!

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Delicious, I increased the onion, peppers, celery, mint, dill and juice. I used lime as I had no lemon. The extra juice kept it from being dry. My family loved it. - 9/3/10
STRAY_CAT

Very Good

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

I liked it a lot. I used French lentils and found I had to cook them for quite a while (more than half an hour, I think) before they were soft. I think when I eat the leftovers tomorrow, I'll add some of the "extras" -- I would have liked some feta and olives in it. - 2/16/10
CRSTCS54HGS9JMF

Incredible!

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

We used quinoa instead of bulgur, and used the salad as relish on sandwiches - 6/28/11
JOEFREDDIE

Incredible!

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

I started the red lentils and bulgur in the morning while I chopped some of the items. The red lentils cook in 10'. I finished the dish when I got home from work. I didn't have mint or dill, added cucumber and used the feta and tomatoes chopped and mixed in. Makes a big bowl. Very good!!! ;) - 8/3/10
LLEWIS6879

Very Good

9 of 11 people found this review helpful

Just made this morning and REALLY looking forward to lunch! I left out the mint and added fresh cilantro, cumin, a couple sundried tomatoes (chopped small) and 1/8 t cayenne. Will add tomato and feta cheese for my meal! - 6/15/10
ACCEPTHECHLNGE

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

One of my favorite luncheon salads. I would probably omit the mint. Have never added nuts, feta or olives to it. This is filling and delicious, especially as a summer salad. Need to try your version, though. - 5/9/10
QUILTERLYNN

Incredible!

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

We both loved it! Our kind of healthy eating with a little feta and walnuts! - 4/30/10
SPARKEYES

Incredible!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Loved the flavor of this salad. Only made 1/2 the recipe, next time I will make the WHOLE recipe! Used extra lemon juice and pulp (I like the extra lemon zip) and green olives instead of black. Delicious, thanks for posting. - 3/29/11
FUTUREHOPE49

Very Good

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Very good for Diabetics - 11/29/10
SDOWNES89

Incredible!

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Super delicious. I was worried that I wouldn't like this recipe---I've never really tried bulgur or lentils before---but I loved it. All of the extra ingredients gave it great flavor. One note is that it took a long time for my lentils and bulgur to cook. I'll let you know how it freezes. - 7/3/10
KALAJIJO

Incredible!

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Wow, this was incredible. I've made tabouli and it was similar to that but the addition of the lentils made it more filling and the dill was a new flavor. Sometimes tabouli is too garlicky but this salad had just the right balance of flavors. - 1/10/13
CATHM26

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

I made this the other night and brought it to work for lunch. Super yummy! I couldn't find bulgur at the grocery store so I substituted with brown rice. - 3/10/11
MEHOPEFUL2

Incredible!

5 of 8 people found this review helpful

I like the suggestions with black olives and feta, yum! - 5/9/10
ISABELLEO

Incredible!

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

I love this kind of cooking. It was a little bland and a little dry, but when I added some pesto it was marvelous! - 7/13/10
ICEDEMETER

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Please note that the nutritional data for this recipe is highly inaccurate. They used the listing for 1 cup of COOKED lentils, and not the 3 cups that you actually get when starting with 1 cup of raw as requested in the ingredients. It should be 215 calories per serving. - 3/15/16
CRAZYANNE

Very Good

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I only had orange lentils (is that pink?) and overcooked them. We used it as the entree - it has staying power. I'd add more herbs next time. - 8/5/10
SISTER337

Very Good

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I liked this as I am always looking for ways to use bulger. Next time, I'm going to try substituting quinoa...hmmm. Thanks! - 5/11/10
ANIMAL_L0VER

Very Good

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Very good, but there's no way this is Chef Meg's original recipe, as it is exactly the same as the one in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook published in 1977. The ingredients and directions are almost EXACTLY word for word. Makes me NOT wanna buy the Spark cookbook. :o( - 5/7/12
SUNFISHDEB

Incredible!

2 of 4 people found this review helpful

I loved this recipe but have sooo much, that I will be eating it for a while. I Used more onion and red pepper and garlic than called for and since I didn't have any fresh herbs around, used dryed. I also made a balsamic vinegar dressing instead of the lemon juice. It was absolutely fabulous. - 8/8/10
NANA662

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I made this with red lentils which cooked very fast. It was a nice variation of taboule. - 6/28/10
MARYHALLMAN

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

It would be helpful to add the size of the serving to the nutritional list as I read everything several times to find that what was shown here was for 1/2 cup servings. Maybe I am a little dense! - 4/27/10
MAMACHM

Incredible!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Love this! Perfect mixed in a salad or as a side with grilled chicken. - 6/13/16
HAWKTHREE

Very Good

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Rather nice mix of flavors. - 4/24/16
LOFSTI

Incredible!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great recipe full of good for you ingredients. - 6/29/15
STAFFORDROSE

Incredible!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Made this with the added Feta option and my hubby and I loved it!! Thanks for the recipe! - 2/3/15
KSNANA2

Incredible!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Made this salad a few times now and just love it. I add extra lemon (3 large lemons) and use a red and yellow bell pepper for color. During the summer I'll add what the garden is giving me and it always turns out. I use the receipe as my base and just adjust as I have the ingredients at hand! - 12/27/12
CD13367794

Incredible!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Excellent! Even though I'm cooking for one, I made a whole recipe and chowed down on it for the whole week. It does taste better after sitting in the fridge. - 12/21/12
GREASE31

Incredible!

1 of 4 people found this review helpful

I luv this recipe, it sounds just perfect. - 10/8/12
GUNNADOITNOW

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Just delicious. I used quinoa instead of bulgar and corriander instead of parsley. i also used juice and zest of 2 big lemons. It make 6 x 1 cup servings. This is a fantastic addition to my new vegan diet. - 5/9/12
MITSRN

Very Good

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Had to have a whole cup for dinner! - 8/30/10
TEKNIKOL26

Very Good

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I made the recipe the day before and added black olives, drained capers, cilantro.To freshen it up the day of, I added lime juice, tomatoes and feta. Instead of roasting the chicken, I marinated my breast(cut length wise to be thin) in eggs, milk, salt, pepper, rosemary overnight. Baked. Fabulous!! - 8/9/10
NMSTORY

Incredible!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Loved it! though it was the first time I have cooked either bulgar or lentils, I cooked them way to long the first time - I will try to remember not to multi-task while making this part of the recipe! ;)
the flavors where amazing! - 5/20/10
LORISAM422

1 of 5 people found this review helpful

ok i totally messed up on this. i used the entire bag of lentils instead of the one cup. i realized this too late. i was thinking it made way more than 8 half cup servings. now i know why i have sooooo much. its also a little bland. i guess i'll have to start over. - 9/6/09
BONNIE1552

Interesting. - 6/10/21
CD6913562

Great salad! - 6/10/21
CD2693807

omitted bell peppers and added tomatoes, broccoli, water chestnuts, and carrots to add some color and crunch - 6/8/21
MACHOL

Very Mediterranean! - 6/3/21
PIZZA5152

Quite good - 6/3/21
SHERYE

Made this to go with dinner tonight, very good. - 5/31/21
EOWYN2424

Incredible!

yum - 5/25/21
PATRICIAAK

:) - 4/26/21
GOFORGIN

Good

Ok - 1/24/21
AZMOMXTWO

thank you - 1/2/21
CECTARR

Thanks - 12/29/20
METAFUKARI

Incredible!

I liked this more than I thought I would, a keeper! Added olives, red bell pepper, fire roasted tomato chunks! - 9/28/20
REDROBIN47

This looks good. I'm going to try it. - 9/18/20
JUNETTA2002

Incredible!

Awesome recipe - 8/5/20
LOSER05

Incredible!

yum - 7/12/20
FISHGUT3

thanks - 6/18/20
4CONNIESHEALTH

Good

not my thing. - 3/13/20
EVIE4NOW

Good

The men rejected but I thought it was tasty. - 3/5/20
MUGABI123

Think I will give this a try! - 12/11/19
ALEPEQUIJADA

Great!
- 10/15/19
ANHELIC

Sounds like an appetizing salad that I have never tasted. Thanks for sharing. - 10/14/19
POSEY440

O.K.

Ok - 9/11/19
NELLJONES

OK, it would be better with wheatberries. More texture. - 8/29/19
BIKE4HEALTH

Looks good - 8/21/19
DMEYER4

good recipe - 8/21/19
PLATINUM755

Incredible!

Fantastic! I didn't change anything to start with but can see where this dish can be very versatile. Thanks! - 7/23/19
RHOOK20047

Incredible!

Made this as a side dish and my folks didn't know what it was but said it was good - 7/10/19
NASFKAB

Great idea cant get bulgur but quinoa is an amazing substitute - 6/1/19
WHITEANGEL4

Incredible!

make this and keep in fridge a couple days. quick snack - 5/30/19
PWILLOW1

Very tasty and a nice alternative to most traditional salads. I will make it again. - 5/30/19
2DAWN4

Added a few things and it was very good! - 5/28/19
NEPTUNE1939

tasty - 3/24/19
ROBBIEY

Very Good

Very tasty dish, I took out the mint, (not a fan) and added some diced garlic flavored tomatoes. - 3/14/19
1HAPPYSPIRIT

Very Good

Very Good! - 1/22/19
PROVERBS31JULIA

Incredible!

Can also use a chicken or vegetarian stock instead of water, when cooking the lentils/dal. That makes it really yummy. - 1/19/19
OBSESSEDHIKER

interesting - 1/13/19
KITTYHAWK1949

Incredible!

enjoyed - 11/23/18
DEE107

looks good - 11/9/18
TWEETYKC00

Not bad, would try it again. - 9/14/18
JANIEWWJD

This was very different. - 9/4/18
CD1987279

great snack - 8/24/18
GEORGE815

Great recipe - 7/21/18
TOMATOCAFEGAL

Good

Yum. - 7/19/18
JAMER123

I can never get lentils to cook right for me so this is something we would not be making. - 7/19/18
CARLI_MAE

Incredible!

I found 1/2 tsp of salt (less if using olives or feta) & 2 tbsp. olive oil sufficient in combination w/other spices & lemon/lime juice. I don't like mint & find too many spices tend to compete with each other. 1/4 tsp of red pepper/pepper flakes instead of black gives pleasant kick. Love it. - 6/19/18
CHERIRIDDELL

Better than the one they sell at the grocery store - 6/12/18
MOMMY445

Good

good - 5/26/18
KATHYJO56

Good

okay, but I won't be fixing this again - 5/19/18
LIBR@RYL@DY

Incredible!

YUM - 5/16/18
DAN1964

have to try it - 5/2/18
SHOAPIE

Interesting. - 3/19/18
ROSSYFLOSSY

Good

Sounds good. - 3/18/18
SISTERPRETTY

interesting.... - 2/23/18
MBPP50

Very good - 2/18/18
CD4994568

Very Good

delish! - 2/5/18
SUSANBEAMON

Very chewy and filling. - 1/29/18
BABY_GIRL69

Good

This was interesting especially for me but it was okay.... I will try to add kalamata olives next time as they are one of my favorite olives..... - 1/23/18
AKROXIE

Good

Followed recipe for cooking lentils exactly but the 20 minutes made them mushy-will check them next time. Liked how the optional additions had the totals shown but had to figure out how to add them into the nutrition counter. - 1/8/18
1RETSGM

Good

Pretty OK - 12/16/17