Bulgur main dishes: vegan, not salad, not chili

February 28, 2022 10:22 AM

I have some bulgur to use up. Googling is bringing up tabouli, other salads, and chili. My cookbooks aren't helping either. Please share any recipes for vegan main dishes that aren't these things. (Please actual recipes with measurements only. I can't do the "pinch of this and bit of that.")
posted by FencingGal to Food & Drink (18 answers total)

Best answer: I've made stuffed cabbage rolls with bulgur. This recipe looks similar (just leave the parmesan out for vegan).
posted by beyond_pink at 10:46 AM on February 28, 2022 [3 favorites]

Best answer: If you hadn't added that last parentheses, I would have told you about my plans for dinner tomorrow, since I too have bulgur to use. I'm going to make some cabbage dolmas with bulgur and mushrooms, but I'm going to free-style, so you'll have to wait till tomorrow if you want that recipe.
Instead, I looked for similar recipes online:
Roditikoi Dolmades - Grape Leaves Stuffed with Bulgur & Cumin
Zucchini Dolma With Bulgur Recipe
CABBAGE ROLLS WITH BULGUR ANTAKYA-STYLE/ BULGURLU LAHANA SARMA

On preview: seconding beyond_pink
posted by mumimor at 10:49 AM on February 28, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I've made veggie burgers similar to these, with black beans instead of pinto, and I think honey instead of baby carrots?
posted by damayanti at 11:04 AM on February 28, 2022

I know this recipe SAYS salad, but we have it hot as a side dish and it's wonderful - eliminate the parm, sub your bulgur for the farro: Smitten Kitchen
posted by ersatzkat at 11:58 AM on February 28, 2022

I use it as a starch side for anything that goes with a starch side. The advantage of substituting it for other starch sides is that you can very quickly prepare a portion in a microwave, so it's handy if you've already pre-made a batch of some kind of stew or stir-fry.

It's also pretty similar to couscous, just more coarse, so it can be directly substituted into couscous recipes.
posted by confluency at 12:32 PM on February 28, 2022

Best answer: Turkish bulgur kofte in tomato sauce. Here's a fully vegan version. I have not tried this specific recipe as I generally use eggs as a binder, but this looks like it's got all the right elements. Definitely a main course!
posted by fikri at 1:14 PM on February 28, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Kisir mainly uses bulgar and is really good. It’s sort of like a pilaf-style thing with some chopped vegetables in it. Best with the ingredients as described, but you can sub tomato paste for red pepper paste and balsamic for pomegranate molasses if those ingredients are hard for you to find. (They are referring to it as “salad” in the recipe but in Istanbul we would always eat it warm next to kebabs and not in twee little lettuce cups.)
posted by Concordia at 1:17 PM on February 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

A delicious casserole from the Moosewood people that uses bulgur in one of the layers.
posted by JanetLand at 2:00 PM on February 28, 2022

Response by poster: Thanks for answers so far. Please remember I'm looking for recipes that are vegan or very easily veganized (so really no more than one minor non-vegan ingredient).
posted by FencingGal at 2:05 PM on February 28, 2022

If you have Miyoko's Vegan Pantry book, a lot of the sausage recipes use bulgur. I believe some of Isa's Vegan Brunch sausages do too.
posted by snaw at 3:44 PM on February 28, 2022

Best answer: Vegan Kibbeh Balls
posted by plant or animal at 4:01 PM on February 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Not sure if you have fine-grain, medium-grain, or course-grain bulgur. If it's fine or medium, you can try Stuffed Eggplants with Bulgur from America's Test Kitchen, omitting the cheese.
posted by skunk pig at 5:21 PM on February 28, 2022

Best answer: Wheat pilaf. Cook up 1/2 diced onion til at least transparent in 2 Tb. vegan butter or olive oil, Add 1 cup of bulgur wheat and cook it for a few minutes, stir occsionally. Add 2 cups of water, salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste, cover, cook til done. You can add herbs or curry powder, if you like. Wheat or rice pilaf is really good with some roasted vegetables mixed in. actual recipe
posted by theora55 at 5:49 PM on February 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

Another Smitten Kitchen recipe that works fine by switching out the farro for bulgur is One-pan Farro with Tomatoes. You'll have to add a bit more water.
posted by ultrogonic at 6:55 PM on February 28, 2022

Best answer: This recipe that I probably came across here is a favorite. Other variations add rice but this one just uses bulgur.
Turkish Ezogelin soup
posted by loopsun at 10:22 PM on February 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I had this recipe in an open tab already yesterday, but somehow forgot: Vospov Kofte (Red Lentil Kofte)
posted by mumimor at 1:25 AM on March 1, 2022

Best answer: This Ottolenghi chickpea and bulgur soup (presented by Heidi at 101 Cookbooks) is hearty and delicious. It’s garnished with a whipped feta topping, which would be delicious with a vegan feta, but it’s just as good without the cheese IMO.
posted by little mouth at 3:56 PM on March 1, 2022

Best answer: I haven't used this specific recipe, but generally any risotto recipe you have will work with bulgur.
posted by solotoro at 5:01 PM on March 1, 2022