Looking for a healthy vegetarian lunch salad recipe? A healthy vegetarian lunch salad needs some protein. Try this recipe for a Greek bulgur wheat salad. It is a bright, easy to make dish that should be a once-a-week go-to. It’s a great way to make use of those end of summer tomatoes, too.
This delicious Vegan Greek bulgur wheat watercress salad could be a go-to for you at least one day a week. The watercress and bulgur wheat pair well with the classic Greek salad ingredients—cucumber, olives, tomatoes, red onion, and, for this recipe, vegan feta cheese!
Why add watercress to a Greek salad? It adds lots of texture, is extremely tasty, and it’s rich in nutrients. And, despite a reputation as an upper-crust ingredient found in the kind of fancy tea sandwiches they would serve at Downton Abbey, Watercress is readily available at markets all around the country.
Healthy Vegetarian Lunch Salad
INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
• 1 cup prepared bulgur wheat
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large diced tomato (or one container multi-color cherry tomatoes)
• 1/2 diced red onion (blanched or pickled if you want to reduce the bite)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh watercress (use mostly the tops and about an inch or two of the stems)
• 1/2 medium English cucumber, medium dice
• 1/2 cup crumpled Vegan Feta cheese,
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped, divided
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cook the bulgur wheat according to directions.
2. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil and fluff with a fork. Add a pinch of salt and a hearty grind or two of pepper.
3. In a large serving bowl, combine the vegetables, olives and half the Vegan Feta cheese.
4. Stir in the bulgur mixture.
5. Top with the remaining feta and sprinkle with pine nuts and a watercress sprig or two.
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning. You might want to add a squeeze of lemon for extra acidity, or a splash of olive oil if the salad seems dry.
NUTRITION (per serving)
Calories 52
Total Fat 2.7g
Total Carbohydrate 6.3g
Sugars 1.7g
Protein 1.5g
Click here for full healthy vegetarian lunch salad.