This Bulgur Pilaf recipe is nutritious, delicious, and has a wonderful nutty flavor! It takes 20 minutes to prepare and is an excellent alternative to rice. I like to serve bulgur pilaf with a Middle Eastern Salad and kotletai.
Bulgur refers to a whole grain that is a staple in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region. Bulgur is partially cooked, or parboiled. It is derived from durum wheat.
You might notice that in some Middle Eastern recipes, "bulgur" is referred to as "burghur" which is what it's called in Arabic. In Assyrian, we refer to this dish as "Pirda." It's also used to make this Lebanese Mujadara recipe!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Bulgur pilaf is a great grain that doesn't get the attention it deserves. Besides being delicious, it's also lower in calories and carbs than rice.
- If you are watching your carbohydrate intake, this is a great option!
- Preparing bulgur pilaf couldn't be easier. It only takes around 20 minutes to cook since it's already parboiled, or partially cooked.
- Leftovers taste just as good as freshly made bulgur.
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bulgur Wheat: Bulgur comes in different sizes to accommodate what you are preparing. Pay close attention to the recipe you are following, to make sure you purchase the correct size. The options available are #1 (fine bulgur) through #4 (coarse bulgur). For this bulgur pilaf recipe, you will need #4. The finer grinds are used to make recipes like Kibbeh, Kubba, and Lebanese Tabbouleh.
- Vermicelli: Vermicelli comes in coils or broken into pieces. Either type will work in this recipe.
- Tomato Paste: This recipe is sometimes prepared without tomato paste, but if you have it, I recommend adding it. The tomato paste adds color and flavor to the bulgur pilaf.
- Onion: Choose from yellow or white onion.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card!
🥣 How to Make Bulgur Pilaf
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a medium pot and saute onion and vermicelli until the noodles are brown, and the onion is caramelized.
Step 2: Rinse bulgur in a strainer, then add to the same pot.
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Step 3: Mix tomato paste, salt, and one cup of hot water and whisk to dissolve. Pour the mixture over the bulgur in the pot and stir to combine. Cover with the lid and cook over very low heat, for twenty minutes. Stir halfway through.
Step 4: Fluff with a fork before serving.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Traditionally, bulgur pilaf is eaten with a salad, especially when fasting from meat. Sometimes it is served with a dollop of homemade yogurt. Another great side option is to include some protein like kofta kebab, sumac chicken, or try something different like this tasty slow cooker butter chicken!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Bulgur has a nutty flavor and a chewy texture. The individual grains almost pop into your mouth as you bite into them.
Bulgur and couscous are not the same thing. Couscous is actually a pasta made with semolina, while bulgur is a grain derived from durum wheat.
How does bulgur stack up to rice nutritionally? Pretty darn well! Comparing one cooked cup of each, bulgur has half the calories. There are 204 calories in a cup of rice vs. 112 calories in bulgur.
There are 44 grams of carbs in one cup of rice, vs. 25 grams in bulgur. Both have the same amount of protein, 4 grams.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Instead of hot water, you can try adding broth instead.
- The cooking liquid may seem like it's not enough, but resist the urge to add more. Since the bulgur is already parboiled, it doesn't require more cooking liquid.
- Another great addition to this recipe is canned chickpeas. Just stain the chickpeas and mix with the bulgur before simmering.
- Feta cheese lends a creamy, yummy texture to cooked bulgur pilaf.
- Prepare a simple salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers, chopped parsley, and onion. Season with salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil, then serve over the bulgur pilaf.
🥘 More Middle Eastern Recipes
If you enjoy this bulgur pilaf recipe, try these other great Middle Eastern recipes!
📖 Recipe
Bulgur Pilaf Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 small onion (diced)
- ¼ cup vermicelli
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 1½ cups bulgur (coarse grind, #4)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium pot and saute onion and vermicelli until the noodles are brown, and the onion is caramelized.
- Rinse bulgur, and add to the same pot.
- Mix tomato paste, salt, and one cup of hot water and whisk to dissolve. Pour the mixture over the bulgur in the pot and stir to combine. Cover and cook over very low heat, for twenty minutes. Stir halfway through.
- Fluff with a fork before serving.
Notes
- Instead of hot water, you can try adding broth instead.
- The cooking liquid will seem like it's not enough, but resist the urge to add more. Since the bulgur is already parboiled, it doesn't require more cooking liquid.
- Another great addition to this recipe is canned chickpeas. Just stain the chickpeas and mix with the bulgur before simmering.
- Feta cheese lends a creamy, yummy texture to cooked bulger pilaf.
- Prepare a simple salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers, chopped parsley, and onion, and season with salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil, then serve over the bulgur pilaf.
tax1ahk says
Many compliments from guests on this dish. Everyone wanted the recipe. Perfect accompaniment to Turkish meatballs. Followed recipe exactly. Thank you for sharing.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much. I feel like this is one of those recipes that doesn't get noticed much, so I'm excited to hear that you and your guests enjoyed it. It's my husband's favorite!
HildaSterner says
Hi Anastaciast, I have to first ask about your name, is it Anastasia? Are the last 2 letters part of your last name? I never know how to address you. 😉 We will be moving to Montana in the next couple of years. We bought a house in Dec. of last year. We're slowly furnishing it and preparing for the move. My husband retires in March, so we'll be going back and forth for a while. Nebraska, huh? I can't picture Assyrians living in Nebraska for some reason, LOL. I guess we're everywhere! Was the high school you mentioned called Mather? That's the only one I can remember that started with an "M." Also, just when I thought I'd heard of every diet, you introduced me to a new one. I looked it up and I'm happy to report that bulgur is on the approved list. Have a wonderful night and thanks for stopping by!
anastaciast says
Shlama! Hello Hilda! I hope you are well. So, you are moving to Montana? That's fantastic! I was reading back through your biography and I noticed that we missed each other by just a couple of years in Chicago. We moved to Nebraska in 1976 and I turned 11. We lived in Rogers Park and I went to school at Rogers Park. I'm trying to remember the name of the high school I would have gone to, and I can't. I think it began with an m. I love that we have an Assyrian word now so I don't have to use the Turkish word anymore! I need to check into my low FODMAP diet list to see if I can have it. I'm not sure that I can. At any rate, I love pilaf and your recipe looks great. Cheers!