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This simple bulgar pilaf is made with sautéd onions, vegetable stock, and bulgar wheat. It is served as a side dish, or with sautéd vegetables. My favorite way to enjoy it is with eggplant ratatouille.
If you’re not familiar with bulgar, then you are in for a treat! It is something I quite literally grew up on!
My mom came from an Armenian family. When her mother passed, she became the Armenian cook in the family. She used her mother’s recipes, as well as created her own spin on the traditional recipes that were served when she was growing up.
There were some recipes she didn’t attempt to make! Those usually included the labor intensive breads like choereg, a traditional Easter bread that requires some baking skills, and a lot of patience.
But when it came to sarma (stuffed grape leaves), dolma (stuffed peppers), beoreg (spinach or cheese stuffed phyllo dough), well that was where she shined!
An Armenian feast would not be complete with pilaf. She made it two ways, the one I’m sharing with you today, is made with bulgar. The other variety she made was with rice and thin noodles.
Bulgar pilaf is served as a side dish. It is an accompaniment to shish kabab, or for me, (always the vegetarian), grilled vegetables and tofu kebabs!
We also enjoyed this dish with my mom’s favorite eggplant ratatouille.
Why you’ll love this Bulgar Pilaf recipe…
- Quick and Easy
- A great substitute for rice
- Takes less time to cook than rice
- Only three ingredients needed
- Healthy and vegan
- High in fiber
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Bulgar Wheat: You will need one cup of bulgar wheat. You can buy different varieties. I suggest the medium coarse texture.
Vegetable Stock: When my mom made this recipe she always used chicken broth, but when I became vegetarian she switched to vegetable stock. It’s a simple switch that makes this recipe vegan friendly without losing any flavor. I recommend using a low-sodium broth. I also use the vegetable stock to sauté the onion instead of using oil or butter. This cuts back on the extra calories and fat, and keeps this recipe whole food plant-based.
Onion: Finely chop one small onion, or about 1/2 a cup of onions chopped.
Tools and Equipment
Medium Saucepan: You will need a medium sized saucepan. The same type of pot that you would use to make rice.
Cutting board and chopping knife to chop your onion.
A spoon or fork to fluff your bulgar when it’s done.
How to Make Bulgar Pilaf – Step by Step
Step 1: Sauté onions in 2 tbsp of vegetable stock on medium heat until onions turn transparent.
Step 2: Reduce heat. Add one cup of bulgar and two cups of broth to the saucepan. Bring to a boil uncovered.
Step 3: Once the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes.
Step 4: Remove from heat, and let sit covered until all of the broth has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve!
What are the health benefits of bulgar?
- Low in Calories and Fat: A serving of bulgar wheat is only about 75 calories, and less than 1 gram of fat!
- High in Fiber: A serving of bulgar has 4 grams of fiber which is about 15% of the daily recommended fiber. Fiber helps you feel fuller longer, so you eat less. It also helps with healthy digestion, and helps to manage blood sugar levels.
- High in Protein: Bulgar is a good source of plant protein, with 3 grams per serving.
- High in Vitamins and Nutrients: In addition to being high in fiber and protein, bulgar is also a good source of manganese, iron, folate, vitamin B6, niacin, and magnesium.
RECIPE FAQS
Bulgar is cracked whole grain kernels of wheat that are parboiled before drying and packaging. The parboiling process helps bulgar to cook more quickly than other varieties of wheat. It’s a very inexpensive grain.
While making bulgar pilaf is one way to enjoy this grain, you’ll also find it added to salads, like tabbouleh.
I buy bulgar in the bulk section of my local health food store. You can likely find it at Whole Foods, or other specialty grocery stores as well. When I was growing up we always bought our bulgar from a Middle Eastern market. If shopping at a large chain grocery store look for bulgar where you would buy rice, or in the ethnic food aisle. If you cannot find it in your local grocery store, you can purchase it online.
When you bring your bulgar home from the store, transfer it to an air tight, dry container. Keep it stored in a cool dark place. I use air tight canisters to store my flours, and grains in my pantry.
It takes about 15-20 minutes for bulgar to cook. You start by bringing it to a boil, then reduce heat, simmer, and finally take it off the heat to fully absorb the liquid before fluffing with a fork.
Yes, there are several different varieties. Bulgar comes in fine, medium, and coarse textures. The more fine your bulgar the more quickly it will cook.
No, unfortunately, bulgar is not gluten free. It comes from wheat so it does contain gluten.
Top Tips for Making the Perfect Bulgar Pilaf
- Don’t add too much liquid. Stick to the 1:2 ratio. Too much vegetable stock will result in wet and sticky bulgar, rather than light and fluffy.
- Use low-sodium broth.
- Before you cook your bulgar, check the type that you have bought. Fine bulgar will only take 5 minutes to cook while very coarse bulgar will take 20 minutes. The directions for this recipe is for medium coarse bulgar. If you’re not sure what type you have, just keep an eye on it, and remove from the heat, when you notice most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Variations and Substitutions
Fresh Herbs: Add your favorite fresh herbs. Finely chop your herbs and fold them into your pilaf before you’re ready to serve. Parsley adds a nice fresh flavor.
Top with Chopped Nuts: For added crunch top with toasted pine nuts, or slivered almonds.
Garlic: If you’d rather not use onion, or you’d like a little garlic flavor, add 2 cloves of minced garlic when sautéing the onions.
How to Store, Keep, and Reheat
Store: Allow cooked bulgar to completely cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.
Keep: Bulgar stored in the refrigerator will keep for 3-5 days.
Reheat: When ready to reheat, transfer to a microwave safe container. Cover and heat for 30 seconds or until warm.
Check out these other healthy vegan side dishes and appetizers!
- 28 Easy Vegan Appetizers
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Cinnamon Butternut Squash
- Vegan Corn Casserole
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
If you’ve tried this bulgar pilaf, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!
Bulgar Pilaf | Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup bulgar wheat medium coarse
Instructions
- Sauté onions in 2 tbsp of vegetable stock on medium heat until onions turn transparent.
- Reduce heat. Add one cup of bulgar and two cups of broth to the saucepan. Bring to a boil uncovered.
- Once the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and let sit covered until all of the broth has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve!
Video
Notes
- Don’t add too much liquid. Stick to the 1:2 ratio. Too much vegetable stock will result in wet and sticky bulgar, rather than light and fluffy.
- Use low-sodium broth.
- Before you cook your bulgar, check the type that you have bough. Fine bulgar will only take 5 minutes to cooke while very coarse bulgar will take 20 minutes. The directions for this recipe is for medium coarse bulgar. If you’re not sure what type you have, just keep an eye on it, and remove from the heat, when you notice most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Nutrition
I’ve been enjoying bulgar since the 90’s and I’m always looking for new recipes! This looks fantastic!
Wow what a simple and comforting recipe. Thanks for all those variations and tips also.
I love the sound of this, so simple and delicious! I’m definitely going to be making this as a side to one of my meals.
This looks so delicious and yummy! My husband is going to love this recipe! Can’t wait to give this a try!
This reminds me so much of quinoa and how it takes on the flavor of the broth that it’s cooked in! So tasty!