Easy Bulgur Salad in a Jar (2024)

Ingredients

Bulgur

2cups(280 g)
uncooked extra coarse bulgur
uncooked brown rice
uncooked quinoa
dry couscous
2cups(480 mL)
water

Dressing

¼cup(66 g)
tomato paste
¼cup(60 mL)
water
2 Tbsp(30 mL)
extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp(30 mL)
pomegranate molasses^†
1
lemon, juiced
½ tsp
salt

Assembly

2cups(360 g)
cooked brown lentils
cooked green lentils
1
cucumber, diced
1
medium red onion, thinly sliced
1cup(135 g)
green olives, halved
kalamata olives
2cups(300 g)
cherry tomatoes, halved
1cup(15 g)
fresh parsley

Directions

Add the bulgur and water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes*.
Turn off the heat, stir the bulgur, cover, and let rest for 10 more minutes. Then rinse under cold water.
Meanwhile, add the dressing ingredients to a bowl. Mix well.
Fill the mason jar with the dressing at the base, followed by the cooked bulgur, then lentils, cucumber, red onion, olives, tomatoes, and parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

^†Pomegranate molasses can be found in many Middle Eastern or Mediterranean supermarkets. If this ingredient isn't available to you, try substituting it with pomegranate juice and maple syrup, or cranberry juice concentrate.
* There are many different varieties of bulgur. Be sure to cook yours according to the package instructions.

Storage

The salad can be stored in mason jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Let us know what you think

Watch it step-by-step!

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Smashed Potato Salad

Discussion & Rating

Maxine - April 10, 2024, 4:01 a.m.

I wasn't sure that I was going to like this since I don't love lentils, however this was surprisingly good! It was also easy to put together, and it was very filling. Loved it!

PUL Team - April 10, 2024, 7:22 a.m.

So glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Maxine! 😊

Linda Fe - Dec. 5, 2023, 4:34 p.m.

This was very easy to put together and with the power of a rice cooker and canned lentils, it was just chopping! Will be meeting this one again!

PUL Team - Dec. 5, 2023, 10:33 p.m.

Woop woop! Thanks for the glowing review, Linda ✨

Nora - July 6, 2023, 1:21 a.m.

This is great! I swapped the dressing for the tahini dressing because that’s what I had on hand and it is delicious. Next time I may add sprinkles of sunflower seeds. Fast easy and not too expensive. I used canned lentils.

PUL Team - July 6, 2023, 8:18 a.m.

Woop woop! Thank you, Nora 😃

Patricia van Steensel - June 12, 2023, 12:26 p.m.

This is so tasteful and easy to make in advance for those long and busy workdays.
Also made it a few times with Orzo instead of Bulgar (because I run out of the Bulgar).

PUL Team - June 12, 2023, 4:18 p.m.

Mmm sounds lovely, Patricia, thanks a bunch!

Sj - March 21, 2023, 10:55 a.m.

Make this all the time, super flavorful!

Ziva - March 13, 2023, 4:24 p.m.

Het was echt lekker. Ik heb 2 porties gemaakt, heb ik morgen ook lunch die al klaar is. Heerlijk, dank je PUL

Martunia - Feb. 22, 2023, 3:17 p.m.

I prepped 3 salad jars yesterday and had the fourth portion in a bowl directly. So good! I ordered the pomegranate molasses just for this recipe and I'm not disappointed 😋 Next time I'll use a different grain, like pearl barley. I think it will work really well in this one.

PUL Team - Feb. 23, 2023, 12:46 a.m.

Ooo love the idea to use pearl barley! So glad the recipe was enjoyed 😃

Ellie - Feb. 15, 2023, 3:09 p.m.

So flavorsome and fresh! I prep these on Sundays for lunches the rest of the week.

Monica - Oct. 21, 2022, 1:49 a.m.

Rave review, glowing review…. I’m def the biggest fan of this recipe. Thank you thank you thank you!

PUL Team - Oct. 21, 2022, 5:23 a.m.

Aww, Monica, you're too kind! Thank you 🤗

Krista - Aug. 16, 2022, 6:49 p.m.

Brought this to work for lunch and felt very fancy :) I did quinoa instead of bulgur and followed everything else. Very, very yummy and will definitely be doing this again! Thank y'all for your beautiful creativity.

PUL Team - Aug. 17, 2022, 2:48 a.m.

A delicious substitute, Krista, we're so glad it was enjoyed! Thank YOU 🙂

Kim - March 22, 2022, 5:41 a.m.

Wow! My taste buds are dancing!

PUL Team - March 23, 2022, 5:19 a.m.

So happy to hear, Kim 💃

Vera - March 1, 2022, 6:32 p.m.

This is so good! And it's amazingly filling -- in a lasting way. I usually hit a slump and feel hungry mid-afternoon, but having this for lunch left me very satisfied until dinner. Perfect lunch to pack for work!

PUL Team - March 2, 2022, 2:21 a.m.

Woohoo! We appreciate the lovely review, Vera, thank you :)

Aleph - Feb. 22, 2022, 4:08 p.m.

I was so skeptical about tomato paste in a salad dressing even though I grew up in the middle east where it’s commonly used in many dishes, but it was amazing!
I served the salad over a bed of greens for extra nutrition and crunch. The olives were absolutely my favorite! My family loved it too - thank you!

PUL Team - Feb. 23, 2022, 7:20 a.m.

We're so happy it was enjoyed, Aleph, the extra crunch sounds incredible 😃

Liliane - Jan. 12, 2022, 2:47 p.m.

When substituting the Pomegranate Molasses with Lemon & Agave, what would be the substitution ratio ?

PUL Team - Jan. 12, 2022, 10:28 p.m.

Hi there, Liliane, we haven't experimented with it so can't say with absolute certainty, although perhaps starting with half (1 tbsp) is one approach. You can always add more taste as needed 🙂

Alan - Dec. 17, 2021, 9:58 p.m.

Sadia, this salad is brilliant and has become a regular lunch for us. Especially the dressing---so wonderful! Thank you :)

PUL Team - Dec. 21, 2021, 1:30 a.m.

So happy to hear, Alan - thank you 😃

Ellen - July 23, 2021, 12:51 a.m.

This has become a staple in my lunch rotation, stacked into small mason jars and they stay fresh all week! I do find the tomato paste in the sauce to be a bit overwhelming so I’ve been upping the pomegranate molasses to 3-4T which in my opinion balances everything out perfectly

PUL Team - July 25, 2021, 2:22 a.m.

Thank you for sharing, Ellen, we're so thrilled you're enjoying this one :)

lucy - July 11, 2021, 5:35 p.m.

i literally made this every day for like a month. must try 🤎

Céline - July 10, 2021, 10:41 p.m.

It was good. But I have had even better recipes from pickuplimes.

Ruben M.C - July 8, 2021, 10:57 p.m.

This salad is my current obsession! And living in Saudi means an endless supply of pomegranate syrup to make this dressing :D I am actually bringing a few bottles to my family over the summer, so they can try this recipe! It's Bomb!

PUL Team - July 11, 2021, 3:01 p.m.

So kind of you to bring pomegranate syrup to your family, Ruben! We hope they love the recipe 😃

Hannah Crompton - July 8, 2021, 5:58 p.m.

Love this recipe sooo much! Had a bit of trouble finding the pomegranate syrup at first but the recipe is so yummy!

PUL Team - July 9, 2021, 9:43 p.m.

So glad the hunt for pomegranate syrup was worth it, Hannah! Thank you for the review 😃

Cris S - June 5, 2021, 3:56 p.m.

I find this recipe very enjoyable but mostly in the first two days. The chewiness of the bulgur is great!

Mia - April 29, 2021, 7:23 a.m.

What an awesome homepage, so detailed and userfriendly, great job!!
Greetings from Vienna (Austria)

PUL Team - May 1, 2021, 6:10 a.m.

We're so grateful for the feedback, Mia! Lots of love to Vienna ✨

Shradha - March 24, 2021, 8:26 p.m.

Never disappointed. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I'm so not a salad person, but have tried almost all your salad recipes and enjoy them all. This one was especially hearty! I added a bit of hot sauce to make it spicy!

PUL Team - April 2, 2021, 6:24 a.m.

Hot sauce sounds yummy! Thank you for sharing, Shradha - it's so appreciated 😀