Bulgur Salad with Spinach, Pine Nuts and Asparagus

Hearty summer grain salads are ALL THE RAGE RIGHT NOW.

Could you tell I was using my best car salesman voice? Actually they would say, “GIT YER BULGUR SALAD BEFORE IT’S GONE GONE GONE.”

Why do car sales people repeat words? “I’m sorry honey, I know we were in the middle of fertilizing the flower beds, but the man riding a dragon in a parking lot screamed that EVERY LAST ONE of their cars has hail damage and need to be sold FAST FAST FAST. No, he said it three times. We have to go.”

 

Speaking of, I need a new car. Mine like, won’t start. I’ve been stuck at so many places over the last few days it’s only a little bit hilarious. It starts sometimes on the first key turn, but most of the time, the 67th or 2,113th. It doesn’t exactly rule. RULE RULE RULE.

So yeah, grain salads! Bulgur is a funny word. And you most definitely need to say it with an authoritative accent. COMETH FORTH WIDTH THE BULGURRRRR. Oh wait! A king car salesmen, omg. COMETH DOWN TO THE LOT AND I SHALL GRANT YOU THE BULGUR BULGUR BULGUUUR BEFORE IT’S GONE GONE GONE.

 

I should switch to decaf.

Alright so basically what we have going on here IS: nutty bulgur, velvety spinach, garlicky sautéed asparagus, toasted pine nuts, softened goat cheese and buckets of fresh lemon juice. And ribbony basil. Sweet Lawd.

But you know a king car salesmen would be really funny. PATENT PENDING.

Bulgur Salad with Spinach, Pine Nuts and Asparagus:

What it took for 4 (as a side dish) or 2 (as the main entree):

* 1 cup bulgur
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into a dice
* 4 cups baby spinach
* 1/4th cup pine nuts, toasted
* 3 oz softened goat cheese
* 1 lemon
* 1/4th cup fresh basil, sliced thinly
* coarse salt and pepper

Pour two cups of water and the bulgur into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until tender. There shouldn’t be any water left.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and bloom 30 seconds. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender and it pops in color, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the bulgur to the skillet and stir in the spinach. Toss everything to combine. Give a good squeeze of lemon juice over the whole mess. Taste it. Throw in some more salt and pepper.

Serve on a big platter dolloped with the goat cheese and garnished with the pine nuts and thinly sliced basil. And more lemon. Oh yes.

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29 Responses to Bulgur Salad with Spinach, Pine Nuts and Asparagus

  1. Laurie {Simply Scratch} June 5, 2012 at 2:24 pm #
    This salad is B-E-A-U-T-F-U-L! Love this Bev!
  2. Heather June 5, 2012 at 2:35 pm #
    gimme gimme gimme! methinks i may swoon over the goat cheese it there...it's been missing from my diet for waaaaaaaaaay too long (you know, like a week or something)
  3. Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough June 5, 2012 at 2:40 pm #
    Good gracious this looks tasty. If it's got goat cheese, Imunna eat it.
  4. Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables June 5, 2012 at 2:51 pm #
    obsessed with grain salads right now, this looks fab
  5. Cassie June 5, 2012 at 3:24 pm #
    Summer on a plate!
  6. Villy @ For the love of Feeding June 5, 2012 at 4:00 pm #
    Yummy, yummy! It looks so appealing!
  7. Kathryn June 5, 2012 at 5:25 pm #
    Grain salads make the absolute perfect lunch. I'm in.
  8. Deanna B. June 5, 2012 at 5:29 pm #
    Dude. I need this in my life STAT. My summer salad roster suddenly feels woefully incomplete. Sad day.
  9. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar June 5, 2012 at 6:32 pm #
    Yeah...this needs to appear on my plate NOW! Yum!
  10. Ali @ Gimme Some Oven June 5, 2012 at 7:21 pm #
    Ha - love bulgur! This looks nice and healthy for summer!
  11. Katie June 5, 2012 at 8:34 pm #
    Before I got my new car (which isn't that new...this was like 3 years ago) - I used to get stuck EVERYWHERE. I feel your pain, sista. And I'd like some bulgur salad...please, please please!
  12. Alison @ ingredients, Inc. June 5, 2012 at 8:49 pm #
    You had me at "Bulgur Salad" LOVE
  13. Jen @ Savory Simple June 5, 2012 at 8:49 pm #
    This salad is full of my favorite things! It sounds amazing.
  14. Erin Motz June 5, 2012 at 9:03 pm #
    How fresh! I'm always looking for new ways to cook grains.
  15. Donna June 5, 2012 at 9:40 pm #
    This looks amazing, as all of your recipes do! RE: the car - sounds like a starter motor - ha some experience with that kind of problem - just sayin'
  16. Julie @ Table for Two June 6, 2012 at 12:03 am #
    wow, this is gorgeous. a salad i'd love to devour. bulgar reminds me of bulgaria LOL..is that mean? :(
  17. Cookie and Kate June 6, 2012 at 1:55 pm #
    Warm grains with goat cheese are a match made in heaven. I want this salad in my belly!
  18. Deborah June 6, 2012 at 2:13 pm #
    Yes, please! Minus the goat cheese, of course. :)
  19. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen June 6, 2012 at 7:18 pm #
    Love, love, love those flavors! :-)
  20. Kristina @ Love and Zest June 6, 2012 at 8:24 pm #
    adore those serving utensils!
  21. anju June 6, 2012 at 9:43 pm #
    hope u get annew car fast fast fast. loved this salad:)
  22. Jenny June 7, 2012 at 3:44 am #
    Mmm, I have a bag of bulgur wheat waiting to be used - this could be the perfect way to do it!
  23. john June 8, 2012 at 11:09 am #
    A salad that's full of flavors! I love the combination of everything in here! This is my first time to prepare salad perfectly, my wife is the one who always cook for us because she have with her gourmetrecipe which she always rely on when cooking!
  24. Jaye December 13, 2012 at 1:23 am #
    I just made this as our side dish for balsamic herb salmon. They came together very well--both really appealing to the eye and palette--and even by itself the salad was delicious! Will definitely be adding this as one of my go-to recipes. Thanks so much for sharing!
  25. Gabrielle April 21, 2015 at 5:41 am #
    Made this last night and it was excellent. Did not have pine nuts, but walnuts works well too. I think it will freeze well also
  26. Cherith April 30, 2017 at 6:20 pm #
    Great recipe. Family loved it. Substituted feta for goat cheese, and roasted sunflower seeds for pine nuts. Worked well, will definitely make again. Thank you

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Warm Bulgur Salad | Run The Dirt Road - June 27, 2013 [...] I adapted it from a recipe originally posted on Bev Cooks. [...]
  2. 10 Good-for-You Ancient Grains to Cook With Now | foodiecrush.com - June 17, 2015 […] Bulgur Salad with Spinach, Pine Nuts and Asparagus from Bev Cooks […]
  3. Spring Grain Salads – woolovers - October 17, 2016 […] Full recipe and images: https://bevcooks.com […]

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