TL/DR – Avocado Peanut Bulgur Salad. A clap-back at the avocado peanut sushi roll, this bulgur salad is packed with tangy sweetness from lime and white balsamic vinegar and offers a nice kick from jalapeño. It’s also vegan! –
As the pandemic began to ease its grip on our world, I went out for sushi. Apparently there’s a new trend that I, (a savvy 41 year old single mom with small kids trapped at home,) was not aware of: the peanut avocado sushi roll. Or avocado peanut. Whatever. It’s fabulous.
This salad is also fabulous. It’s a take on that sushi roll, only amped up with some good old fashioned fiber and a sweet and tangy dressing.
If you are not familiar with bulgur, it’s cooked, dehydrated wheat. It has great texture and an almost nutty flavor. It’s the brown stuff in Tabbouleh. It’s delicious in savory things but also makes an interesting departure from breakfast oatmeal. For more, read Bulgur 101.
The package may say to cook it, but the easiest and fastest way to get the job done is to pour boiling water over it and allow it to sit and rehydrate for about 15 minutes. If you’re down with bulgur, also try Broccoli Bulgur Salad.
For this salad, while the bulgur re-hydrates in a bath of boiling water, whisk together a dressing made of olive oil, lime juice, white balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and freshly ground pepper. Cut up an avocado and mince a jalapeño. Stir the rehydrated bulgur well to allow it to release some heat, (or rehydrate it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.)
Stir in the dressing and the jalapeño first because you don’t want the avocado chunks to get smashed. Then gently stir in the avocado, transfer it to a serving bowl and top it with honey roasted peanuts and thinly sliced scallions or minced cilantro. Serve it immediately or refrigerate it, tightly covered. (Tip: if refrigerating for later, place a wet paper towel or a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface and press out any air. This will help the avocado to stay green.)
To make it ahead, rehydrate the bulgur, make the dressing and then refrigerate both, covered. When you are ready to assemble it, mince the jalapeño and cut the avocado and mix everything together using the same two step method mentioned above.
Avocado Peanut Bulgur Salad
A clap-back at the avocado peanut sushi roll, this bulgur salad is packed with tangy sweetness from lime and white balsamic vinegar and offers a nice kick from jalapeño. It's also vegan!
Ingredients
- 1 c bulgur wheat
- 1 c boiling water
- 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
- 2 T lime juice, from 1 or 2 limes
- 2 T white balsamic vinegar
- 2 T honey
- 1 t kosher salt
- 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 c honey roasted peanuts
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced, or a handful of cilantro, minced, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Put the bulgur into a medium bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Set it aside and allow it to rehydrate for about 15 minutes. If, after 15 minutes, there is any water left, drain it well. Usually this is not the case. This step can be done ahead of time and the bulgur can be refrigerated, covered.
- Step 2 While the bulgur rehydrates, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper, mince the jalapeño and cut the avocado.
- Step 3 Once the bulgur has rehydrated, stir it well to release most of the heat. Then stir in the dressing and the jalapeño. Mix well.
- Step 4 Finish by stirring in the avocado very gently just until incorporated. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle on the honey roasted peanuts. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions or minced cilantro.
