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Turkish Style Vegan Spinach Salad with Bulgur Recipe (500 kcal)

Turkish Style Vegan Spinach Salad with Bulgur Recipe (500 kcal)

Written by: Damla Sengul
Damla Sengul, Food Editor
Expertise: Food Researcher
Experience: 12 Years
Damla Sengul is a Food Editor and recipe developer at Diets Meal Plan with 12+ years of experience in digital food publishing. Every recipe she publishes has been personally tested and filmed in her home kitchen in Wayne, New Jersey, using locally sourced ingredients. She specialises in recreating healthy versions of popular dishes by substituting high-calorie ingredients with nutritious alternatives, each recipe undergoes multiple rounds of testing until the taste matches or improves on the original Her work includes researching global cuisines and techniques, analyzing recipes from established chefs, and adapting them into practical, approachable formats. She ensures accuracy in ingredients, measurements, and cooking methods so readers can consistently achieve results. In addition to her editorial work, Damla is an avid baker who enjoys creating celebration cakes and experimenting with new dessert recipes in her spare time.
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Turkish Vegan Spinach Salad with Bulgur (500 Calories, 14g Protein, 15g Fiber)

This Turkish-inspired warm salad, known regionally as fellah koftesi style, delivers 500 calories per hearty serving with 14 grams of plant protein, an impressive 15 grams of fiber, and 18 grams of heart-healthy fat from olive oil. It is a full meal, not a side. Serve it for a filling vegan lunch, a Meatless Monday dinner, or a make-ahead workday plate. The fine bulgur swells in your stomach across the hour after eating, so portion sensibly. This dish keeps you full for 4 to 5 hours without any animal protein.

What Makes This Recipe Work

The technique is a warm-toss layered over cold. Fine bulgur (koftelik bulgur) is soaked, not boiled, in hot water and a splash of tomato-pepper paste liquid for 20 minutes until it plumps to double its size and turns russet. That soaking method preserves the nutty texture and prevents mushiness. Meanwhile, spinach is wilted briefly in olive oil over medium heat, about 300 F, with garlic and pepper paste blooming in the oil for 30 seconds before the greens hit the pan. Two minutes is all the spinach needs. The warm spinach mixture gets folded into the room-temperature bulgur with a big drizzle of raw olive oil, lemon juice, and dried basil. Fresh red pepper stirred in raw at the end keeps a bright crunch against the soft bulgur. The finished dish is served at room temperature so the flavors bloom.

Ingredient Notes

Fine bulgur, sometimes labeled No. 1 or koftelik, is essential; coarse bulgur will not soak properly and needs boiling. Any Middle Eastern grocery carries it, and Bob’s Red Mill sells it online. Fresh baby spinach works beautifully; frozen spinach must be thoroughly squeezed of water or the whole salad turns soggy. Turkish pepper paste (biber salcasi) comes in mild (tatli) and hot (aci); either is great. If unavailable, sub 1 tablespoon tomato paste with a half teaspoon of Aleppo pepper. Use a peppery extra-virgin olive oil, ideally a fresh single-origin bottle. Fresh red bell pepper adds vitamin C and crunch. Cumin, dried basil, and a splash of pomegranate molasses at the end deepen the Turkish profile.

Shopping List

1. Flour (for koftesi variation) 2. Thin pounded bulgur 3. Spinach 4. Garlic 5. Olive oil 6. Cumin 7. Pepper paste 8. Dried basil 9. Fresh red pepper
Vegan spinach salad

Delicious vegan spinach salad with bulgur

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Yield: 3

Vegan Spinach Salad with Bulgur Recipe

Vegan Spinach Salad
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Here is an unusual, unique, nutritious, delicious and vegan spinach salad with bulgur recipe that will amaze those who see it.

Quick tip, if you have the opportunity, use natural pomegranate syrup as a dip and get to heaven.

Bon appetite!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Spinach (2 cups, boiled)
  • Fine bulgur / Thin pounded bulgur (1.5 cups)
  • Flour (0.7 cups)
  • Lukewarm water (1 cup)
  • Cumin (1 tsp)
  • Dried basil (2 tsp)
  • Garlic (4 cloves)
  • Red fresh pepper (2, large)
  • Pepper paste for dough (1 tsp, hot if possible)
  • Pepper paste sauce (2 tsp, hot if possible)
  • Olive oil (6 tbsp)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Step 1.
  2. Bring a relatively deep and wide tray or bowl to bring out this beauty. Pour the bulgur into it. Add enough water to exceed the bulgur and drain the water.
  3. We will clean the bulgur with this process because they are thin and we cannot wash them in the strainer.
  4. Now, pour 1 cup of lukewarm water on it and let it sit for 10 minutes in this way.
  5. Step 2.
  6. After 10 minutes, you will see that the bulgur has completely absorbed the water and the process will swell them. Now add 1 tbsp. of pepper paste and start kneading.
  7. Take a small bowl of water with you and continue kneading by wetting your hands frequently.
  8. Add salt, cumin-dried basil to the mixture and mix them until all ingredients are combined. Start adding flour to the mixture in a controlled manner.
  9. Keep kneading by wetting your hands. Since the types of flours are different from each other, I recommend adding them in a controlled way, because the hard dough will affect your salad badly.
  10. We are looking for a dough texture that is soft but not sticky.
  11. Step 3.
  12. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, wetting your hands frequently. Then collect to one side of the bowl. Now we’re going to break off pieces from them and shape them into pieces.
  13. Take a small piece and taste it. (This is safe and tasty) If salt is needed, add some more at this step.
  14. Step 4.
  15. Now break off pieces of the dough the size of a large hazelnut. Roll it with the palm of your hand and gently press the middle part with the tip of your finger.
  16. Continue this process by wetting your hands frequently, until the dough is finished.
  17. Step 5.
  18. It’s time to cook them. Add half a tablespoon of salt to the well-boiled water in a large pot. Put the dough grains you have shaped into it and boil it for 10 minutes.
  19. Strain the water and keep the bulgur balls in the strainer to make the sauce.
  20. Step 6.
  21. Before you start preparing the sauce, roast your red peppers in the oven or on the smallest part of your stove, peel the skins and cut them into julienne slices and keep them aside.
  22. Boil your spinach and crush your garlic. Get a large bowl that will use to serve your salad. Pour your olive oil into it. Then add the pepper paste. Mix the oil and pepper paste together.
  23. Add the garlic, salt and continue mixing.
  24. Finally, add the peppers and spinach. Mix for the last time. Your sauce is now ready.
  25. Add the bulgur balls to the sauce and mix gently until all the ingredients are combined. If your salad seems dry, feel free to add olive oil to it.

Notes

The salt step is very important. If the salt in the boiling water is less, the dough may fall apart from the boiling stage.

Nutrition Information

Yield

3

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 500Total Fat 28gNet Carbohydrates 50gProtein 10g
© damla
Category: Vegan Recipes

Tips and Variations

For meal prep, make a big batch on Sunday and portion for 4 lunches; the flavor actually improves by day two as the bulgur absorbs more of the dressing. For a low-sodium adjustment, use unsalted homemade pepper paste and finish with extra lemon rather than salt. Push protein up to 22 grams by folding in a cup of cooked chickpeas or half a cup of hemp seeds; both work with the Turkish flavor profile. For a non-vegan boost, crumble 2 ounces of feta on top for another 6 grams of protein and a briny bite. For a lower-carb version, swap half the bulgur for cauliflower rice steamed and cooled. Add fresh mint and parsley for a tabbouleh-style twist. A handful of toasted pine nuts or walnuts adds crunch and 4 more grams of protein per tablespoon. For a spicy version, double the pepper paste and add a pinch of Aleppo or Urfa biber. Serve with warm pita and a bowl of hummus for a proper Turkish mezze spread.

Storage and Meal Prep

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Do not freeze; the bulgur turns grainy on thaw. Serve at room temperature for the best flavor; take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before eating. Meal-prep containers work great since there are no delicate greens to wilt. Pack a wedge of lemon and a small container of olive oil to refresh at lunchtime.
Current Version
August 8, 2026
Edited By
Damla Sengul
August 1, 2026
Edited By
Damla Sengul
  1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Position: Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016. Source
  2. Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. Source
  3. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Vegetarianism / Plant-based Eating. Source
  4. NIH ODS. Vitamin B12 – Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Source
  5. USDA FoodData Central. Source
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