This savory Cajun salad is a grain salad with an unexpected twist: bulgur, corn, and kidney beans are flavored with fresh oregano and Cajun spices.
Looking for something different to do with your salad? We’ve become addicted to vegetable and grain salads, a wonderful way to enjoy raw veggies with lots of flavor. Most of our salads have Mediterranean or Latin flavors, but what about Cajun? This Cajun salad recipe has a unique twist by using Cajun spices to speed up your favorite summer veggies! It also contains one of our favorite cereals: bulgur. Read on for this Cajun salad recipe.
How to cook bulgur
Have you ever eaten bulgur? It is a whole grain that originated in Middle Eastern cuisine. Bulgur is commonly used in tabbouleh, which you may have eaten at Greek restaurants, which is a Mediterranean bulgur salad. Not only does bulgur wheat have a delicious chewy texture, nutty flavor and high nutritional content, it cooks in just 15 minutes! Bulgur wheat comes in a variety of grinds, which changes the cooking time significantly. As in this Cajun salad, we like to cook with thin and medium bulgur because they cook the fastest. In general, we avoid coarsely ground or extra coarse bulgur because it takes longer to cook.
How do you make bulgur? Simply heat some water to a boil, then pour it over the bulgur and let stand 7 minutes for finely ground bulgur or 15 minutes for medium ground bulgur. As it sits, the granules will absorb all of the water and the granules will grow large and tender. It “cooks” without having to cook on the stove! Which doesn’t seem to be cooking at all.
How to make a Cajun salad
Aside from cooking the bulgur (see instructions above), this salad is a breeze to make. Simply slice the raw veggies while the bulgur cooks, and when you’re done, toss with Cajun seasoning, oil, and vinegar. I loved the mix of textures and flavors in this salad, with the tangy kick of Cajun spices punctuated by corn on the kernel, juicy tomatoes, and a bite of fresh oregano. While this is a great combo, it would be easy to get creative with the bulgur base and add your own favorite veggies, herbs, and spices!
And there you have it: How to Make a Cajun Salad! Let us know if you do in the comments below.
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This Cajun Salad Recipe is…
Vegetarian, plant-based, vegan and dairy-free.
The description
This savory Cajun salad is a grain salad with an unexpected twist: bulgur, corn, and kidney beans are flavored with fresh oregano and Cajun spices.
- 1 ½ cups fine or medium ground bulgur wheat*
- 3/4 puree fresh tomatoes
- 3 corn on the cob
- 1 green pepper
- 1 shallot
- 1 a handful of fresh oregano
- 1 can red beans
- ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tbsp Cajun spice mix
- Ground fresh pepper
- Kosher salt
- Heat 1 ½ cups of water in a teapot. Place the bulgur in a bowl or container with a lid. When the water boils, pour the water over the bulgur and seal the container (or place plastic wrap over the top of the bowl). Simmer until seared: about 7 minutes for a finely ground bulgur and 15 minutes for a medium ground bulgur.
- Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into large chunks (halve the cherry tomatoes). Cut the corn on the cob. Chop the green pepper. Finely chop the shallot. Chop the oregano. Drain and rinse the kidney beans.
- When the bulgur is cooked, place in a large bowl with the tomatoes, corn, green pepper, shallot, and beans. Then add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Cajun seasoning, fresh oregano, freshly ground pepper, and kosher salt (to taste). Mix and serve.
Remarks
*Avoid coarse or extra coarse bulgur as cooking instructions differ.
Notes: The amount of spices to add depends on the Cajun spice mix purchased and your heat tolerance. Be sure to start conservatively and taste until you find the spiciness you want!
- Category: salad
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Cajun inspired
Keywords: Cajun Salad, Bulgur Salad, Bulgur Recipes, Cajun Recipes, Cajun Inspired, Vegan Salad Recipes, Salad Recipes, Healthy Salad Recipes
