Mediterranean Red Bulgur Salad with Tuna

I must apologize, my post did not post as I had hoped (perhaps it was because it was scheduled for Wednesday!). Better late than never!

Our summer began with the most perfect temperatures (for me), low 20’s° C (low 70s° F) with low to no humidity. You have to understand, Toronto becomes a sauna in the summertime, high temperatures and humidity and which makes it seem so much hotter and muggier than it actually is. It’s usually so soupy that a shower seems less wet than going outside! As soon as July hit, so did summer temperatures 34° C (93° F) and in rolled the humidity (making 34 seem like 42° C or 107° F). I am a sweater, I sweat thinking about physical effort, it’s really awful, so these hot temps force me to stay inside with the A/C cranked low and a fan blowing on me. It really is a curse.

I came up with this recipe for a lunch during a long-weekend that I was locked inside my house. I wanted something fast, light and easy with ingredients I had at home. Usually, I wouldn’t blog about this type of recipe but JT loved it so much, he literally asked for it again the very next day! This is day two, I didn’t have enough home-grown tomatoes so I added a vine-ripened tomato I had at home. I’ve made this salad a few more times! The bulgur adds a lovely texture, not quite chewy but not soft either. The tuna is a nice addition but it’s even tasty without it for a vegan recipe.

A KitchenInspirations Original Recipe

This recipe makes 4-6 servings

To make this vegan, omit the tuna.

Ingredients:

• 200 g red bulgar
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 can tuna (flaked white albacore in water)
• 10 cm cucumber, finely diced
• a handful of parsley, chopped finely
• 3-4 mint leaves, chopped finely
• 12 or so kalamata olives, chopped
• a handful or so of grape tomatoes, finely diced
• Handful of chopped artichokes

Ingredients for the dressing:

• juice and zest of 1 lemon (about 60 mL)
• same quantity olive oil, or less
• 10 mL tomato paste
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, tomato paste and salt and mix well.
2. Add the garlic cloves to the bulgur water with salt. Cook the bulgur according to directions (mine said 500 mL water with 200 g bulgar). If all of the water did not absorb, strain. Discard garlic.
3. Pour dressing over the strained, hot bulgur. Cool slightly.
4. Combine everything for the salad and mix well.
5. Serve immediately in a bowl or spoon into iceberg lettuce leaves.

Notes:

• If you don’t have any tomatoes, use about 125 mL sundried tomatoes in olive oil, strained and chopped.
• I usually buy chunk albacore tuna because we like it better than flaked but this recipe is better with flaked because it distributes more evenly.
• If you dress the bulgur when hot, it will absorb the dressing more and evenly.
• I would have added a little Greek Sheep’s Milk crumbled feta if I had some at home. If you do, omit the salt in the dressing.

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