Your Answer To Quick and Healthy Dinners: Bulgur

What is bulgur?

Bulgur is a cracked wheat that is partially cooked and then dried before packaging.  It comes in a few sizes from fine to medium to large grain.  The smaller the grain the faster it cooks.  Bulgur is nutritious like other whole grains, but it is much faster cooking, making it the best healthy dinner hack.  

How to cook bulgur? 

In general, combine 2 cups of liquid and 1 cup of dry bulgur in a pot, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, until the bulgur turns tender, about 12 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and fluff the grains with a fork before serving.  Very fine bulgur can even be cooked simply by pouring boiling water over the bulgur and letting it sit covered for 10 minutes. 

What can bulgur be used for?

Bulgur is most famous for its role in Tabbouleh salad, a middle easter grain and vegetable salad but it is a most versatile quick cooking grain and can be used in many famous middle eastern dishes from Kibbeh to Grape Leaves. 

Bulgur can be used in any recipe that calls for rice or instant couscous. It has a nutty taste and a slightly chewy texture.  

Is bulgur healthy?

Bulgur is a whole grain and most of the health benefits come from its fiber content. According to WebMD “Eating bulgur wheat will protect your heart health and help prevent cardiovascular disorders and heart diseases. One study found that for every 10 grams of fiber added to a diet, the risk of death from coronary heart disease dropped by 17–35%.”  

Live Strong states, “A cup of cooked bulgur is lower in calories when compared to a cup of quinoa. It also has a lower fat content, provides trace amounts of vitamins and minerals, and when compared to quinoa, bulgur has a higher amount of dietary fiber.” 

So the answer is yes, bulgur is a healthy whole grain you can use more of in your diet, but the real benefit is how fast it cooks and the amazing flavor.  Browse through 19 recipes that features bulgur.