Brown Bag Lunch

Bulgar & Chickpea Salad with Feta & Dried Apricots

The bulgar and chickpea base curbs a carb craving in a healthy way & the sweetness of the apricots plays nicely against the tang of the feta. Embracing the spices of the season, this salad could make for a nice vegetarian-friendly offering at a holiday party. As a brown bag lunch option, this one is interesting and satisfying enough to eat three days in a row. 

ingredients:
1 cup bulgar
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
6 mini red onions, halved
1 can chickpeas, rinsed

1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1/4 tsp cinnamon 
1 dash cloves

1.5 oz feta, crumbled
9 dried apricots, diced
handful parsley, minced
salt and pepper to taste
yield: 3 servings

1. combine 1 cup bulgar with 1.5 cups water, cook over low-medium heat until water is absorbed completely. transfer cooked bulgar to large bowl.

2. meanwhile, saute the yellow pepper & mini red onions in 1 tsp olive oil with a pinch of salt. add spices & cook until the yellow peppers begin to brown a bit, stir in the chickpeas & saute for an additional 1-2 minutes. 

3. combine cooked veggies & chickpeas with the bulgar, stir in feta, apricots & parsley.