Taste Test: Bulgur

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Total Rating for Bulgur = 4-1/2 plates*

  • Yumminess = 1-1/2
  • Goodness = 1
  • Easy to find & prepare = 1
  • Yummy to family = 1
*Read about my 5-plate Taste Test scale here.

Getting to Know Great Grains: Bulgur

This taste test is inspired by the article Get to Know 6 Great Grains in Diabetes Forecast.

Whole grains like bulgur (also spelled bulghur) are a really good for you. But is it good and yummy? I decided to test it out.

Source: Flickr (cc)diekatrin

Bulgur is whole wheat that’s been cleaned, cracked and cooked, then dried. This processing makes it quick to cook (soak in hot liquid for 20-25 minutes) and easy to store (in a sealed container on the pantry shelf or in the refrigerator). And most of the bran is left in place, so bulgur is still a whole grain.

You’ve probably eaten bulgur prepared as tabbouleh salad. The most common version of tabbouleh in the U.S. has cooked bulgur mixed with parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumber, then dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

Bulgur and tabbouleh are incredibly versatile. I found over 20 recipes called tabbouleh listed on a single website. Some added feta. Others beans. And still others added chicken. This grain can be easily prepared as a porridge, a side or the base for a main dish.

Bulgur is easy to find in the local supermarket. And it proved really easy to prepare.

We tried a simple bulgur pilaf. I cooked some onions in olive oil, added bulgur, coriander and boiling hot water, after stirring the pot for a couple of minutes I let the covered pot stand for 25 minutes. Finally I fluffed the bulgur with a fork and added slivered almonds, salt and pepper. The result was a slightly dry grain that worked just fine in the place of rice. (Next time I make this I’ll watch the soak time more closely.) The bulgur pilaf had a good chewiness and a distinctly nutty flavor. The family gave it thumbs up all around.

Nutritionally bulgur has a lot to offer. It’s a low-fat protein with plenty of fiber. A cup of cooked bulgur has 34 g of carbs and 8 g of fiber. Bulgur is very filling, I think most people would be hard pressed to eat a full cup.