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I love bulgur with harissa paste and caramelised onion, some diced bell pepper and cherry tomatoes. Such an easy, tasty and nutritious meal. But recently started to make this red pesto and broad bean bulgur after discovering one day half way through cooking that I have run out of harissa paste. So I thought, ok, let’s try red pesto instead and some Italian herbs along mint. The broad beans are in season and needed to be used up – so in they went, replacing the peppers. The result is delicious – hence I’m confident sharing it with you – I hope you’ll like it too if you try it. Plus, because the beans are cooking along in the same pan with the bulgur, no need to pre-blanche them. Which means, this is a pretty simple meal that cooks in the matter of 15-20 minutes. Fantastic bonus, I would say, I love an uncomplicated weekday dinner.
This red pesto and broad bean bulgur is also very nutritious as I mentioned. Shall we learn more about bulgur? Why not.
The benefits of bulgur
Bulgur wheat is a whole grain made from parboiled, cracked wheat that has a nutty flavor and chewy texture. (This is why it needs to be cooked to al dente, like pasta.)
The best thing about bulgur is that it has high levels of iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, niacin, copper, phosphorous, manganese, fibre and plant protein. Along with antioxidants and fibre, so bulgur is beneficial and nutritious food. And even better: it’s low on calories and fats.
Bulgur can help:
- Improve digestion
- Manage diabetes
- Strengthen bones
- Protect the heart
- Increase immunity
- Boost circulation
- Aid weight loss
- Add antioxidants to your diet
- Regulate sleep
However, it can cause bloating and constipation if you eat too much of it and too often.
Serving suggestions
This is a delicious meal on it’s own, but if you’d like something more substantial, you could pair it with:
- Crumbled feta cheese or vegan cheese on the top
- Halloumi cheese
- Vegan or vegetarian sausages
- Grilled vegetables
Red pesto and broad bean bulgur
Ingredients
- 180 g bulgur
- 100 g fresh broad beans without the pods
- 2 shallots chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic sliced or minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 1-2 stem fresh mint 6-12 leaves
- 1-2 stems fresh basil 6-12 leaves
- 1-2 stems fresh oregano 6-12 leaves
- 3 tbsp red pesto
- salt and pepper to teste
Instructions
- This is a pretty straight forward recipe, it doesn't require much work.In a large pan, fry the onions on medium heat until they are golden brown. Add the beans and simmer for a few minutes. Then add the bulgur and the stock along with all the herbs and spices. Cook until all the liquid evaporates and the bulgur and beans are both al dente. This should be about 10 minutes. Taste them and if you find them too hard, just add a little more water, cover with a lid and cook a few minutes more.Serve it immediately.
If you liked this recipe, check out these dinner ideas too:
Vegan Roasted Carrot and Garlic Risotto Recipe
Vegan Leek and Caramelised Onion Latkes Recipe
Vegan Stuffed Courgettes with Hasselback Potatoes