What is bulgur?

Bulgur is a whole grain made from cracked wheat berries (usually durum wheat) that have been parboiled, dried, and then ground into various sizes. It’s a staple in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Turkish cuisines, prized for its nutty flavour, quick cooking time, and nutritional benefits. Unlike freekeh or couscous, bulgur is pre-cooked, so it doesn’t need much preparation time, making it a convenient and versatile ingredient. Rich in fiber, protein, and essential minerals like magnesium and iron, bulgur is often used in salads, pilaf, soups, and even as a meat substitute in vegetarian dishes. Its chewy texture and mild taste make it a popular choice for both hearty and light meals.

Here you can find the nutritional values of bulgur and its comparison to rice, and pasta:

The ingredients

For this recipe, you only need the most basic hints you can find in your kitchen:

• 1 part Bulgur – you can choose any size of bulgur, the preparation will be the same.
• 2 parts Water / or a VegetableStock – you can use plain water, but I personally find it more satisfying and tastier with broth.
• Bouillon – if you do not have a vegetable stock at home, you can use a store-bought bouillon which normally comes as a cube. For 1 cup of bulgur, I normally use half a bouillon cube however, this is not a very precise way to measure. If you are unsure you can just follow the instructions on the package of your product.
• 1-2 tbl of Olive Oil – this is not really necessary, but I find it tastier with the addition of a good quality olive oil.
• Pinch of Salt – add salt to your preference, but bear in mind that maybe you already added salt to your stock, or that there can be salt in the bouillon you are using.

The preparation technique

Now, for the preparation… Bulgur is probably one of the easiest grains to prepare, and that’s because it was already cooked for you. For what it matters, you could simply add some hot water or broth, let it soak for a few minutes, and your meal will be ready. I, however, have a preferred technique.

1. You can simply add all the ingredients in a pot of suitable size – first the bulgur, then water, and the rest. Bring it all to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-high heat, while occasionally stirring. 

2. After turn off the heat, cover your pot and let it sit there for 10 more minutes. Do not take it away from the source of heat, and don’t mix or open it!

3. After the time’s up, check the bottom of the pot by stirring the bulgur with a spatula. The bulgur is ready if there is no residual water at the bottom, it looks somewhat dry, and it feels soft in the mouth. This is 99.99% percent times of the outcome.

4. [optional] Personally, I like to still turn on the heat after the cooking is done, and fry the bulgur slightly, using the same pot. Just make sure you stir it continuously. This leaves a little bit of a nutty flavour and a crunchy and dry texture to it. You don’t need to add any extra oil since you have some residual oil in the bulgur already.

Note: If there is a lot of water after coking, then you simply added more than 2 parts of water. Just let it sit for a little bit more, or just turn on the heat for a while and let the water evaporate while stirring continuously. If there is a bit of water left – meaning that the bulgur feels a little bit too wet but there is no residual water at the bottom – just keep the lid open and let the water naturally evaporate while you are doing some other preparations, or execute step 4.