Toasted Corn and Bulgur Salad

To make this tasty whole grain salad, the bulgur is first toasted in a dry skillet before boiling, giving it a delicious, caramelized taste. This is a nutritious, toothsome salad that is sure to please the whole family.

Bulgur, a mid-eastern staple, is a form of whole wheat that has been cleaned, cooked, dried and ground into four grain sizes: fine, medium, coarse, and whole grains. Because it is pre-cooked, it requires minimal preparation and is ready to eat in ten minutes (or less) cooking time.

Recipe Ingredients:

3/4 cup dry bulgur, medium to coarsely ground
1 1/3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh corn, cut from 2 to 3 ears; or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cooking Directions:

1. In a large, heavy, dry skillet, toast bulgur over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, 5 to 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes covered. Transfer to bowl and cool in refrigerator.
2. If using fresh corn, cut corn from ears and sauté in oil in a heavy skillet 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Cool.
3. Add corn, tomatoes, green onions, vinegar and pepper to bulgur. Toss lightly and chill before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/6 of recipe): 132 calories, 4 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 36 mcg folate, 1 mg iron, 618 mg sodium.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wheat Foods Council.