Bulgur Salad with Dried Cranberries

With summertime here, it is time to make some new salads.  I have a large amount of grains that I need to use up, so decided to go in that direction. 

Bulgur is a whole grain, usually sold parboiled and dried, with only a very small amount of the bran partially removed.  It has a light, nutty flavor.  It has a very high nutritional value.  It is a common ingredient in Armenian, Israeli, Lebanese, and Mediterranean dishes. 

I have tried to like tabouli, but I never could fully embrace it.  This recipe is basically a take off of tabouli, but it has no mint and has the addition of dried cranberries.  Now I am thinking that maybe it was the large amount of mint in the tabouli that I did not love.

Anyway, this salad was a big hit with my family and was very easy to make.

BULGUR SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

1 cup coarse ground bulgur

2 cups cubed, peeled English cucumber
1 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp. agave nectar, optional
¾ tsp. kosher salt
¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Place bulgur in a bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water.  Cover and let stand 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.  Let bulgur cool to room temperature.  Add remaining ingredients.  Toss to combine.  Refrigerate for at least one hour, but even better for several hours. 

I thought the bulgur might get too soft overnight, but when we pulled the leftover salad out the next day, it was still very good.