ABOUT BULGUR

Bulgur is a nutritious and hearty ground whole grain that is parboiled for faster cooking. It comes in fine, medium, and coarse grinds. Bulgur can be made ahead of time and used throughout the week in a variety of recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It also is a great replacement for brown rice, quinoa, couscous, or oatmeal. Bulgur has an earthy, nutty taste with a slight chewiness that is so delicious!

WHAT IS BULGUR?

Bulgur is a cereal food made from blanching wheat groats (the hulled kernels of the grains), most often durum wheat, that have been parboiled, dried, and ground. Bulgur comes in Fine, Medium, Coarse, and Extra Coarse-grind versions. It’s high in fiber and protein but low in fat with an earthy, nutty flavor. Bulgur is a popular staple food in Indian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines. There are so many fantastic ways to use bulgur such as, in stuffings, soups, casseroles, pilafs, and grain or green salads. It can be incorporated to ground meat dishes like meatloaf and meatballs to act as a binder or breads for added nutrition. It can also be used as a substitute for grains like quinoa, brown rice, couscous, or even oatmeal.

DO NOT use cracked wheat! Bulgur is precooked while cracked wheat is raw. It will take much longer than bulgur to cook.

FOUR DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND USES OF BULGUR

Did you know that there are different varieties of bulgur and that they have different uses? Some of the 4 different types of bulgur grinds have different cooking methods. The cooking times will all depend on the size of the grain because bulgur is ground from Fine to Extra Coarse. For Fine-grind bulgur only use the soaking method and for the Extra Coarse-grind bulgur only use the cooking method. The Medium-grind and Coarse-grind bulgur can be prepared with the soaking method or cooking method.

1. Fine-grind bulgur: Only use the soaking method to prepare Fine-grind bulgur. It’s used in many grain salads, such as Tabbouleh, made in the Middle East.
2. Medium-grind bulgur: The soaking or cooking methods both work for Medium-grind bulgur. It’s grains are used in dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), porridge, oatmeals, cereals, pilafs, and veggie burgers. Two examples are from India, they make a sweet porridge with simmered milk and sugar, similar to American oatmeal, or a savory version with vegetables and spices.
3. Coarse-grind bulgur: The soaking or cooking methods work but cooking works best. Coarse-grind bulgur grains are used in stuffing for vegetables or pilaf.
4. Extra coarse-grind bulgur: The cooking method is the only way to prepare Extra Coarse-grind bulgur. It’s used in soups and stews, veggie burgers, and pilafs. In Turkey they make meatballs made with Extra Coarse-grind bulgur called Kofte or Kibbeh in Syrian cuisine.

HOW TO PREPARE BULGUR

SOAKING METHOD (USE THIS METHOD FOR FINE, MEDIUM, OR COARSE-GRIND BULGUR): Since the grains are already parboiled, Fine-grind or Medium-grind bulgur is usually soaked in boiling hot water, diluted stock, or broth with a ratio of 2:1 (2 parts bulgur: 1 part liquid). 

• In a small saucepan with a lid, boil 2 cups water.
• Rinse the bulgur.
• Stir in 1 cup bulgur and 1 tsp salt, remove from heat, and cover; let sit until bulgur is tender (but still slightly chewy), about 10 minutes for Fine-grind bulgur or 30 minutes to 1 hour for Medium-grind and Coarse-grind bulgur.
• If the grains are not tender, recover and let sit a few minutes longer.
• Drain any excess liquid, if any.
• Fluff with a fork.
• Add 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt.
• Incorporate any additional ingredients, if serving warm.
• To cool grains quickly, if serving cold, spread the bulgur on a baking sheet.
• Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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TO COOK BULGUR IN WATER OR STOCK OR BROTH (USE THIS METHOD FOR MEDIUM, COARSE, OR EXTRA COARSE-GRIND): The ratio to cook bulgur is 1:2 (1 part bulgur: 2 parts liquid). Note* that some recipes call for 1 part bulgur: 1 3/4 parts liquid. The less liquid added the more “sticky” (starchy) it will be, similar to a rice.

• Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Rinse the bulgur and stir the bulgur into the water.
• Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 12-15 minutes (Medium-grind, 12 minutes/Coarse-grind, 15 minutes/Extra Coarse-grind 15-20 minutes).
• Remove from heat; let stand covered for 10 minutes.
• Uncover, drizzle with olive oil, and taste for salt.
• Fluff with a fork and serve. 
• {The ratio for cooking bulgur is 2:1 (2 parts liquid: 1 part bulgur)}.

Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup:

• Calories 100
•  Fat 3g
•   Sat fat 0g
•   Unsat fat 2g
•  Protein 3g
•  Carbohydrate 18g
•  Fiber 3g
•  Sugars 0g
•  Sodium 184mg
•  Calcium 1% DV
•  Potassium 3% DV

DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH BULGUR TO TRY: