Recipe from Telepan
Adapted by Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- About 1 hour 15 minutes, plus 1 hour soaking
- Rating
- 4(95)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Most bulgur salads I’ve met follow the tabbouleh model. They are either predominantly tan in color, or predominantly green, depending upon whether the grain or the parsley is emphasized in the recipe.
This bulgur salad, a recipe from the chef Bill Telepan at Telepan restaurant on the Upper West Side, is exuberantly different. Instead of softening the bulgur in boiling water, his recipe calls for homemade beet broth. And instead of parsley, scallions and tomatoes, puréed beets add vegetable matter to the mix. It’s an earthy, bright and dazzlingly fuchsia take on the familiar salad, as palate-pleasing as it is eye-catching. —Melissa Clark
Featured in: Telepan's Beet and Bulgur Salad
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- ½pound beets
- ⅓cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more as needed
- Black pepper, as needed
- 1cup medium bulgur wheat
- ¼cup red wine vinegar
- 1½teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ⅓cup canola oil
- 3tablespoons chopped dill
- 3tablespoons chopped parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
333 calories; 27 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 128 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place beets in a baking pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, a couple of tablespoons water and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cover beets with heavy foil and bake until tender when pierced with a knife, 25 to 30 minutes if small, 30 to 45 minutes if medium-sized, 45 to 60 minutes if large. Let beets cool, then peel and dice.
Step
2
Place bulgur in a large bowl. In a medium pot, combine 2 cups water with beets. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Strain beets, reserving liquid. Measure out 1½ cups liquid and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Pour over bulgur. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit until liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour.
Step
3
Transfer beets to a blender. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard and a large pinch each salt and pepper. Whisk in remaining ⅓ cup olive oil and the canola oil; add more salt and pepper if needed. Pour dressing over beets and pulse until mixture forms a coarse purée. Add half the beet vinaigrette to bulgur and toss well. If bulgur seems dry, add a little more dressing, to taste. Toss in parsley and dill and more salt and pepper if needed. Serve at once or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Ratings
95
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Cooking Notes
Bethperson
Wonderful recipe, and so colorful! This dish gets raves every time I make it. I make it more quickly by skipping the roasting of beets-- I peel & dice them, then boil them in about 2 cups water, then use that water to pour over the bulgur. I don't bother with a blender either-- just whisk the dressing together with the bulgur & cooked beets, add herbs and it's done. For a vegan main dish, I add toasted walnuts for some protein and a nice crunch.
Hannah B
I love this recipe! I've served it at picnics, and have made it a fancy appetizer by putting a bit on an endive spear. I do think that it gets better after sitting a day, but becomes watery after that. (Still tastes good, just pour off the liquid.) I did use more of the beet puree "dressing" than called for - usually 1.5 x's the recipe - and add a bit more red wine vinegar to the "dressing".
siobhan
loved this dish! i also probably used more beets than called for (just a bunch of really large beets, i didn't weigh them). i reserved half the vinaigrette to put on salad. we ate this the next day for dinner, served on a bed of lettuce and it became the main dish with a side of bread and cheese. colorful and delicious!
JaVa
Delicious but half the oil is plenty
Andrea Harris
It was really beautiful, but kind of dull. I agree that it only needs half the oil. I would definitely add feta to it.
JaVa
Delicious but half the oil is plenty
Bethperson
Wonderful recipe, and so colorful! This dish gets raves every time I make it. I make it more quickly by skipping the roasting of beets-- I peel & dice them, then boil them in about 2 cups water, then use that water to pour over the bulgur. I don't bother with a blender either-- just whisk the dressing together with the bulgur & cooked beets, add herbs and it's done. For a vegan main dish, I add toasted walnuts for some protein and a nice crunch.
Christa
Ended up adding feta to make this dish more substantial & interesting as a side salad. Might make a good base for other complimentary vegetables (like what?), but rather blah, unsatisfying, & uninteresting on its own as a salad.
siobhan
loved this dish! i also probably used more beets than called for (just a bunch of really large beets, i didn't weigh them). i reserved half the vinaigrette to put on salad. we ate this the next day for dinner, served on a bed of lettuce and it became the main dish with a side of bread and cheese. colorful and delicious!
Hannah B
I love this recipe! I've served it at picnics, and have made it a fancy appetizer by putting a bit on an endive spear. I do think that it gets better after sitting a day, but becomes watery after that. (Still tastes good, just pour off the liquid.) I did use more of the beet puree "dressing" than called for - usually 1.5 x's the recipe - and add a bit more red wine vinegar to the "dressing".
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