Orzo and Bulgur Salad

Summertime brings: picnics, family reunions, barbecues and pot luck parties. This is an easy and tasty and nutritious recipe. It can be eaten as your main dish or as a side dish.

1 cup bulgur
1 cup orzo
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup shredded carrot
½ cup chopped, seeded cucumber
½ cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup cup coarsely snipped parsley (or 1 TBS dry parsley)
2 TBS fine chopped shallot
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp fennel seed, crushed
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Place bulgur in a 2 cup glass measure, set aside. Cook orzo according to package directions. **Drain orzo, *reserve cooking water. Pour enough of the hot cooking water into the glass measure with the bulgur to equal 2 cups. Let bulgur stand for 45 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
2. In a large bowl combine cooked orzo, celery, carrot, cucumber and cranberries. Add the bulgur, set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, parsley, shallot, sugar, mustard, fennel seed, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Add to bulgur mixture, toss well to combine. Cover and chill for a minimum of 4 hours. Stir before serving. Top with green onions and feta cheese. Serves 10-12, nutrition information based on 10 servings.

Nutrition Information 10 servings/per serving
217 calories
8.6 g fat
3.3 mg cholesterol
58.6 mg sodium
140.8 mg potassium
31.1 g carbohydrates
4.7 g protein