Bulgur salad with fava beans, cherry tomatoes and feta

In this recipe we’ve taken the best bits from two classic Mediterranean salads and combined them into one. This salad contains some elements of a Greek salad — sweet juicy tomatoes, creamy feta, and plump Kalamata olives, but with the addition of some ingredients that you’d find in a classic Tabbouleh salad — bulgur, parsley, mint and scallions. Bulgur has a slightly nutty taste and chewy texture, and it’s such a versatile, filling, and fiber-rich whole grain to have on hand. We usually serve it with Mediterranean-style stews, in pilafs, or in salads like this one.

We’ve flavored the bulgur with a simple olive oil-garlic-lemon dressing and added protein-rich fava (broad) beans to make the salad even heartier. The sweet cherry tomatoes not only give the salad a fresh burst of flavor but also a beautiful color and some amazing health benefits too. Together with the other ingredients this salad is both seriously nutritious and delicious.

You can serve this bulgur salad by itself as a simple light lunch, or accompanied with grilled fish, shrimp or chicken to round out the meal. You could also stuff the salad into whole wheat pita pockets or flat breads together with hummus and falafel.