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    Home » Recipes » Mediterranean

    Spicy Chickpea and Bulgur Salad

    Nov 16, 2022 by Gönül

    Jump to Recipe

    You will love this plant-based spicy chickpea and bulgur salad! It's a healthy and easy-to-make recipe that we make very often. It can easily be made gluten-free.

    spicy chickpea and bulgur salad in a bowl with a blue rim

    🫘 Why This Recipe Works

    Remember the traditional Southeastern Turkish wraps we made a while ago?

    spicy chickpea wraps cut in half

    This grain salad is made with the same idea—except it is even healthier! We will use a few simple ingredients, as well as some "fancy" Turkish spices that you can 100% substitute.

    It is one of my favorite salads!

    spicy chickpea and bulgur salad on a spoon from the side

    🍅 Ingredients

    To assemble our salad, we'll need to cook spicy chickpeas and bulgur, then chop some vegetables.

    spicy chickpea salad ingredients from top view

    Spicy Chickpeas

    You'll need these few ingredients:

    • canned chickpeas
    • olive oil
    • cumin
    • Aleppo or Urfa pepper (sub w/ regular chile flakes)
    • salt

    You could use any chickpea you have—home cooked or canned. We usually end up using canned chickpeas to whip up this recipe quickly. It also means I get leftover aquafaba to use in baking projects.

    My preference is the Whole Foods brand canned chickpeas. They are usually much smaller than other brands', which means there will be more crisp chickpea skins in the salad.

    chickpeas and aquafaba side by side

    I use both Aleppo and Urfa pepper flakes to make these chickpeas spicy. Aleppo pepper is a bright red, earthy chile variety with a delicious fruity tang.

    Urfa biber (also known as Isot pepper) is another type of pepper from the city of Şanlıurfa in Turkey. It's a deep burgundy color and tastes smoky, sweet, and tangy all at the same time.

    Turkish spicy chickpea spices (aleppo pepper, cumin, and Urfa pepper flakes) in a pinch bowl

    Onion Salad

    • raw onions
    • lemon juice
    • sumac (sub w/ more lemon juice)

    If you've ever had kebab at an authentically Turkish restaurant, you were probably served this onion "salad" on the side. It's a delicious condiment used to accompany richer dishes.

    The key to a delicious Turkish onion salad is to slice the onions thinly and lengthwise. an onion's layers of plant cells run from the root to the stem.

    sliced onions with sumac in a bowl

    Veggies & Herbs

    • tomatoes
    • shishito peppers (sub w/ green bell peppers)
    • parsley

    Juicy raw tomatoes are essential for this salad. The more flavorful tomatoes you use, the more delicious your salad will turn out! I love using campari or heirloom varieties.

    chopped campari tomatoes in a bowl

    In Turkey, the type of pepper used for chickpea wraps (the inspiration for this salad) is called yeşil biber. The closest variety available in the U.S. is shishito—but you may use green bell peppers in a pinch. Want to go all in for the spice? Use any hot green chile variety!

    We'll also use a generous handful of chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley. You may also use curly parsley, but I prefer the flat-leaf kind for its more robust flavor.

    The Rest

    • pomegranate molasses (sub w/ lemon juice)
    • extra-virgin olive oil
    • coarse bulgur
    • flaky salt (as needed)
    Pomegranate molasses with a honey spoon

    A drizzling of pomegranate molasses truly elevates this salad. But you can substitute it with a squeeze of lemon juice instead!

    When it comes to bulgur, I like to use the extra-coarse variety, but any type will do.

    🔪 Instructions

    Cook Bulgur

    1. If different, follow package instructions to make bulgur pilaf.
    2.  Add bulgur, salt, and hot water into a pot on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium-low and let simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, until the bulgur has absorbed almost all the water.
    3. Place a clean dish towel or paper towel on top of the pot to absorb excess moisture. Place the lid back on the pot and let the pilaf rest for about 15 minutes before assembling the salad. Make the spicy chickpeas as the bulgur is resting.

    Sauté Chickpeas

    spicy chickpeas being stir fried in a pan
    1. Drain the canned chickpeas and save the aquafaba for baking projects if you wish. In a medium-sized pan, sauté the canned chickpeas with olive oil on medium-high heat.
    2. Mix in cumin, Aleppo pepper, Urfa pepper, and salt. Continue sautéing for 7-10 minutes, until the chickpea skins become crisp. Set aside.

    Prepare the Onion Salad

    Meanwhile, massage sliced onions with sumac & lemon juice and set aside.

    onion and sumac being mixed by female's hand

    Assemble

    1. To make the salad, place cooked bulgur, spicy chickpeas, sumac onion slices, shishito peppers, tomatoes, and parsley.
    2. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil & pomegranate molasses and toss. Season with salt as needed.
    top view of spicy chickpea and bulgur salad in a bowl

    👩🏻‍🍳 Top Tips

    • The tossed salad can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
    • You may substitute both the Aleppo and Urfa chile flakes with regular chile, but I'd highly recommend stocking them for later. These peppers are chef favorites for a reason!
    • If you don't have any pomegranate molasses, substitute with lemon juice for a similar level of acid.
    • To make this recipe gluten-free, use a different grain such as brown rice or quinoa.
    spicy chickpea and bulgur salad in a bowl with pomegranate molasses on the side

    ❓FAQs

    Can I make this salad gluten-free?

    Absolutely! Simply swap the bulgur with a gluten-free grain such as brown rice or quinoa.

    How can I substitute Aleppo or Urfa pepper?

    You may substitute both kinds by using regular chili flakes in the same quantity.

    Note that the flavors will not be as deep or unique with this substitution. That's why I always recommend stocking Aleppo and Urfa pepper flakes in your pantry.

    Is bulgur gluten-free?

    No, bulgur is a cereal made from wheat.

    Is bulgur healthy?

    Bulgur is chock full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber! It has a similar nutrition profile to brown rice.

    🥗 More Mediterranean Recipes

    • Mediterranean Eggplant Sandwich (Vegan)
    • Red Lentil Soup with Lemon
    • Beet Tzatziki - Vegan, Easy, & Delicious
    • Turkish Lentil Balls (Vegan Mercimek Köftesi)

    Did you make this spicy chickpea and bulgur salad recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a star🌟 rating below. This helps me run Aegean Delight and I always appreciate it 🙂

    Print
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    Spicy Chickpea and Bulgur Salad


    • Author: Gönül
    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: 2 Servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
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    Description

    Here's a healthy and easy-to-make Mediterranean spicy chickpea & bulgur salad recipe that we make very often. Hope you enjoy!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Spicy Chickpeas:

    • 1 can (250g drained, 1 ½ cups) cooked chickpeas
    • 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or regular chili flakes)
    • ½ teaspoon Urfa (Isot) pepper (or regular chili flakes)
    • ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) table salt

    Bulgur Pilaf:

    • 1 cup (180g) bulgur
    • 2 cups hot water
    • ½ teaspoon (3g) table salt

    Sumac Onions:

    • ¼ large (75g) onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 tablespoon sumac
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

    Salad:

    • 6 (25g) shishito peppers, chopped (or sub w/ 1 green bell pepper)
    • 1 medium (125g) tomato, chopped
    • ½ bunch (50g) parsley leaves, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • flaky salt as needed

    Instructions

    COOK BULGUR

    1. If different, follow package instructions to make bulgur pilaf. I like to use the extra-coarse variety, but any type will do.
    2.  Add bulgur, salt, and hot water into a pot on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium-low and let simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, until the bulgur has absorbed almost all the water.
    3. Place a clean dish towel or paper towel on top of the pot to absorb excess moisture. Place the lid back on the pot and let the pilaf rest for about 15 minutes before assembling the salad. Make the spicy chickpeas as the bulgur is resting.

    SAUTÉ THE CHICKPEAS

    1. Drain the canned chickpeas and save the aquafaba for baking projects if you wish. In a medium-sized pan, sauté the canned chickpeas with olive oil on medium-high heat.
    2. Mix in cumin, Aleppo pepper, Urfa pepper, and salt. Continue sautéing for 7-10 minutes, until the chickpea skins become crisp. Set aside.

    MAKE THE ONION SALAD

    1. Meanwhile, massage sliced onions with sumac & lemon juice and set aside.

    ASSEMBLE THE SALAD

    1. To make the salad, place cooked bulgur, spicy chickpeas, sumac onion slices, shishito peppers, tomatoes, and parsley.
    2. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil & pomegranate molasses and toss. Season with salt as needed.

    Notes

    The tossed salad can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.

    You may substitute both the Aleppo and Urfa chile flakes with regular chile, but I'd highly recommend stocking them for later. These peppers are chef favorites for a reason!

    If you don't have any pomegranate molasses, substitute with lemon juice for a similar level of acid.

    To make this recipe gluten-free, use a different grain such as brown rice or quinoa.

    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Category: Turkish, Salads, Lunch, Dinner, Healthy
    • Method: Cook
    • Cuisine: Turkish

    Keywords: bulgur salad, chickpeas

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @aegeandelight on Instagram and hashtag it #aegeandelight

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    Hi! I'm Gönül

    I share flavorful vegan recipes that are mostly from the Aegean. It is a cuisine filled with incidentally-vegan gems and I can't wait for you to try some of them!

    You can find out more here

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