This Bulgur Pilaf with green lentils is a super healthy and tasty side dish. It is full of fiber and packed with nutritions. So easy to make with only a few ingredients! Your family will love this new side dish when you serve it at dinner.
What Is Bulgur Pilaf?
Bulgur wheat pilaf makes a great alternative to Rice Pilaf with Orzo. Although the method is quite similar, it is much easier to cook pilaf with bulgur because it absorbs water quicker. Depending on the size, bulgur may not even need to be cooked over heat. For example, it's enough to soak super fine bulgur with hot water and let it rest for some minutes. I love that pilaf with bulgur is customizable. While this one with lentils is our favorite, I sometimes add finely chopped vegetables and cook them with onion before adding bulgur. Adding orzo just like in rice pilaf is great too.
If you are looking for a change and want to make a new side dish to serve with the main coarse, give this pilaf a try! What's more, it makes a wonderful potluck food when served cold with herbs.
What Is Bulgur?
Bulgur wheat is a popular grain in Middle Eastern cuisine. Wheat kernels are partially cooked in large amounts, dried and then cracked to form bulgur wheat. It has a nice nutty flavor. Because it cooks super quickly, people use it in several dishes from soups to salads.
There are a few different sizes of bulgur wheat at super markets; super fine, medium coarse and coarse. What size to buy depends on the dish you are going to make. Super fine is perfect for salads and breakfast bowls. Oh yes, you can substitute bulgur for oats or quinoa and make a yummy Warm Bulgur Breakfast Bowl for chilly mornings. Coarse bulgur is perfect to make pilaf and soups.
Our favorite bulgur wheat recipes:
Blood Orange Sumac Chicken Tabbouleh
One Pan Garlic Lemon Chicken Wings With Bulgur
How To Cook Bulgur Pilaf Recipe
It's very easy to cook. You don't even need a cooking process for super fine bulgur. Just soaking it with hot water is enough. On the other hand, coarse bulgur cooks in 15-20 minutes.
Basically making bulgur pilaf has three simple parts.
First, cook bulgur with oil and hot water covered in a pan. The ratio is 2 cups water to 1 cup bulgur. This should be over the lowest heat.
Second, remove from heat and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Finally, fluff it using a fork and serve.
As for this bulgur wheat pilaf with green lentils, we need to cook the lentils first. Then add bulgur and the rest of the recipe is the same as the steps above. If you want, leave the lentils out and make the pilaf in the simplest way.
Is Bulgur Wheat Pilaf Healthy?
Bulgur is a whole grain food, it contains a good amount of fiber. So it is much healthier than rice and keeps you full for a long time.
Is Bulgur Wheat Gluten Free?
Definitely not. Although it is a healthy ingredient, it might be risky for some people. As it is a kind of wheat product, those who have gluten intolerance or allergy should avoid bulgur.
If you make this Bulgur Pilaf With Green Lentils Recipe, please don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below to share your thoughts!
Bulgur Pilaf with Green Lentils
Bulgur pilaf with lentils is ready in about 30 minutes. Makes a perfect side for chicken or beef.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- ⅓ cup green lentils, rinsed well and soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 1 cup bulgur
- 1 and ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 and ½ cups hot water, divided
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan. Sauté the diced onion until soft.
- Add in green lentils and stir.
- Pour ½ cup hot water in the pan and cook it covered over low heat until lentils get tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add in bulgur and salt when the water is absorbed and stir well. Cook over medium high heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Bring it to the lowest heat.
- Pour 2 cups hot water in the pan and cook covered until all the water is gone, about 15 minutes.
- Let it rest at least 15 minutes before serving.
- Fluff with a fork and add in chopped parsley. Serve warm.
Keywords: bulgur wheat, bulgur pilaf, how to cook bulgur wheat
This post was originally published in 2009 and has been updated.
I made this pilaf for a potluck party the other day and it was a hit! I garnished it with cherry tomatoes and serve with lettuce leaves. YUM!
★★★★★
this is a staple dish of the levant( lebanon,syria,palestine,jordan) ..it is also made with rice instead of bulgar..
Nihal- Mersin'de de sık yapılan bir pilavdır bu ama dediğin gibi pekçok kişi bilmez.
Ne guzel mercimekli bulgur pilavini eklemissin. Pekcok Turk yemek bloglarinda gormuyorum bunu pilavi. Belki de bilinmediginden dolayidir. Hatay'da cok yapiliyor bu pilav ve ben de cok seviyorum.
Mmm, I do like pilafs made with bulgar, this is a nice variation to try!
A great alternative to rice pilafs (which is what I'm most used to). This looks delicious and the addition of cinnamon sounds so intriguing!
It looks so delicious in your photo! This sounds like a perfect combination.
Two flavors that taste so good separately can only be that much better together. Can you hold off on these yummy recipes for a bit - my husband is going surfing in Nicaragua and I cannot eat these dishes by myself - I am going to be backed up with wonderful ideas! Just kidding =) As always - it looks fantastic.
I bought bulgur the other day, now I have a recipe to use it in, thanks.
This looks like a great pilaf, I love the flavor and texture of green lentils!
Great pilaf recipe and I love your presentation!
Wow, this looks great. I think I’ll try and make this at home.
Great pics.Sound delicious!
that pilaf looks wonderful! very similar to what I ate last night!