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Bulgur wheat is a whole grain that cooks by simply pouring over boiling water! How to make it into a meal? Here’s an easy bulgur wheat recipe.
You know those 30-minute meals that are 30 minutes only if you cooked three ingredients in advance and can chop vegetables like a speed racer? This bulgur wheat recipe is not one of those meals. Instead, it’s easy, quick, and requires no forethought. Yes, this recipe was born out of an idea for using up some of our pantry and refrigerator ingredients. What Alex and I love about bulgur wheat is that it doesn’t even require “cooking”: you simply pour boiling water over it and wait a few minutes until the grains become tender. Keep reading for the recipe and more about bulgur wheat!
Related: 10 Brain Food Recipes to Boost Your Mood
What is bulgur wheat?
First of all: what exactly is bulgur wheat? Bulgur wheat is a whole grain. It’s made of the cracked parboiled groats of several different wheat species, most often durum wheat. It originates in Middle Eastern cuisine. Ever had tabbouleh? It’s made of bulgur wheat.
Bulgur wheat comes in different grind sizes, which changes the cooking time significantly. We like to cook with fine-grind and medium-grind bulgur wheat, which is the quickest cooking. Generally we avoid coarse-ground or extra-coarse bulgur, since it takes longer to cook. For more specifics on types of bulgur, go to How to Make Bulgur.
Is bulgur gluten free? Bulgur wheat is made of wheat, so it’s not gluten-free. If you eat a gluten-free diet, substitute quinoa instead. Here’s How to Make Quinoa.
How to make this bulgur wheat recipe
Bulgur wheat has become a favorite of ours because it cooks so quickly! How to make it? Here are the basic steps (see the full recipe below):
- Heat up water to boiling. Place the bulgur wheat in a bowl, then pour the water over it.
- Let it stand for 7 minutes for fine-grind bulgur or 15 minutes for medium-grind bulgur.
As it sits, the grains absorb all the water and the grains become large and tender. It “cooks” without having to cook on the stovetop! Which seems like it’s not cooking at all. We usually make it in a big batch of bulgur wheat so we can eat it throughout the week.
Or, do you have an Instant Pot? You also can cook bulgur in a pressure cooker: see our Instant Pot Bulgur Wheat recipe.
Add veggies and top with a fried egg
How to make this bulgur wheat recipe into a meal? Sautee some spinach, mushrooms, and white beans to serve along side the bulgur. Then top it off with a fried egg! You could substitute other greens or grains in this recipe to fit your tastes and time constraints. What really makes the dish is the smoked paprika! Sprinkling this bright powder over everything adds a smoky savoriness to the entire recipe. We’d recommend using it if you can find it.
This bulgur wheat recipe is perfect for a weeknight or even a hearty brunch! Alex and I made it in just 30 minutes in our kitchen! Working together, we even had time read, chat, and clean up in between. We hope it’s inspiration for quick dinners to come in your own kitchen!
Looking for more easy dinner recipes?
Outside of this bulgur wheat recipe, here are a few of our favorite easy dinner recipes:
- Seared Salmon Poke Bowl
- Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese
- 5 Minute Seared Tuna Recipe
- Coleslaw & Swiss Melt Sandwich
- 14 Egg Recipes for Dinner
- Italian Vegan Pasta Salad
- Vegetarian Carbonara
- Grilled Mango Tacos with Dream Sauce
- Avocado Black Bean Vegetarian Quesadilla
- Peanut Noodles with Napa Cabbage Recipe
- 50 Quick and Easy Family Meals
This bulgur wheat recipe is…
Vegetarian and dairy-free.
Bulgur Wheat Recipe with Veggies & Fried Egg
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Bulgur wheat is a whole grain that cooks by simply pouring over boiling water! How to make it into a meal? Here’s an easy bulgur wheat recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fine- or medium-grind bulgur wheat*
- 16 ounces baby portabella mushrooms
- 15-ounce can cannellini beans (1 ½ cups cooked)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cups baby spinach leaves (or chopped spinach)
- 4 eggs
- Smoked paprika
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil a kettle of water. In a heatproof bowl, combine the bulgur wheat, kosher salt, and 2 cups boiling water. Cover and allow to sit until tender: about 7 minutes for fine-grind and 15 minutes for medium-grind bulgur.
- Meanwhile, brush any dirt from the mushrooms and slice them. Rinse the cannellini beans. Peel the garlic. If using standard spinach, chop it (baby spinach leaves don’t need to be chopped).
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the mushrooms with the whole clove of garlic for 3 to 4 minutes until tender. Add the cannellini beans and spinach; saute for another 3 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Remove the vegetables from the skillet.
- If necessary, add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and bring to medium heat. Add the eggs and cook sunny side up until the whites have hardened.
- To serve, place the bulgur wheat on a plate and the vegetables alongside. Top with a fried egg and sprinkle generously with smoked paprika.
Notes
*Avoid coarse or extra-coarse bulgur, since the cooking instructions are different. Here’s more about types of bulgur.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
This video made my day! It could not be cuter or more heartwarming — I love this wholesome, balanced meal (I love bulgur!) and seeing it come together between the two of you was such a treat. You are an inspiration both in and out of the kitchen. This is wonderful. Thank you!!
Love when you are sitting on the counter reading a book, Sonja! I am afraid of undercooked eggs. There. I’ve said it. I loved them growing up in my little egg cup, with the runny yolk. Mmm… But have been burned a couple times by eggs (read sickened). Any tips on making sure the eggs are good, safe eggs?
Such a simple and satisfying meal! I love bulgur!
Love the video! I’m a big fan of “real” 30-minute meals. Great job!
Loved the video! I’ve never tried bulgar, I have to give it a try, looks so easy to cook! Thanks for sharing!
What a great idea! Love the idea of greens and beans at breakfast…iron and fiber and you have barely started your day. Or a great breakfast for dinner! Love it!
Yay for bulgar! I feel like it’s an under-appreciated grain, and I love the way you dressed it up here with one of my all time favorite toppings: a yummy, runny fried egg AND one of my favorite combos, spinach and mushrooms. What time is lunch? :)
Guys, I LOVE this time-lapsed video. And yes, I know those other 30 minute recipes you’re talking about. This looks wonderful and like the perfect weeknight meal.
Love it!! You guys are so cute! :)
I wonder how a little video like that would look like here at my house. You’d probably see me running out of the kitchen every other frame to keep my toddler from piggy back riding his baby brother or prying a phone charger out of the babies hands :) haha!
I need to find a place to get smoked paprika, I used to have it, but when it was all used up I couldn’t find it at the store I bought it at! I loved putting it on everything, so delicious!!
Trader Joe’s, if you have one in your area, carries beautiful smoked paprika for $1.99. Love this recipe and the info about bulgur wheat. Thanks!
heehee i watched that WHOLE video. you guys are too cute! i haven’t really cooked with bulgar wheat – i’ve eaten it, but i’ve never made it at home. i didn’t realize it was so easy!