Bulgur Salad with Black Beans & Oranges

Finally, weather worthy of a cold salad.

[Someone told me that it's been 140 years since the month of July went without a single day over 90 degrees—in the Northeast, that is. I know that you guys on the West Coast would have welcomed a day under 90, but us Right Coasters have been wearing long pants and sweaters. Weird.]

On the subject of bulgur:
Bulgur is cracked wheat that has been parboiled to make it faster to cook (i.e., cracked wheat is not a good substitute unless you are willing to steam up your kitchen for longer to cook it). Bulgur can come in several different granulations, although the most commonly found supermarket brands don't indicate size. In well-stocked natural foods stores or specialized online sources you can find granulations ranging from fine to extra coarse (which is almost the whole kernels). A medium to coarse (shown above) grind works best for salads. You could also use other wheatlike grains—kamut, spelt, farro—that have been "bulgurized" (parboiled and cracked).

Bulgur Salad with Black Beans & Oranges
Make the bulgur ahead of time (like the night before) so you don't have to steam up the kitchen in the middle of a summer day.

Grated zest of 1 lemon
2/3 cup lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 medium-large (8-ounce) red onion, finely diced
1-1/2 cups bulgur
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 navel oranges, peeled and coarsely chopped
Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in the onion. Let sit while you cook the bulgur.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the bulgur, garlic and water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the bulgur is tender, 15 to 20 minutes (if there's still some liquid, drain it off). Transfer the still warm bulgur to the bowl with the lemon-onion mixture and toss well to combine.
3. Add the beans and oranges, and toss well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Makes 8 servings