Bulgur, Spinach and Tomato Casserole
- Total Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1cup coarse (#3) bulgur
- Salt to taste
- 128-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice
- 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3plump garlic cloves, minced
- ¼teaspoon sugar
- ¼ to ½teaspoon ground allspice or cinnamon (to taste)
- Freshly ground pepper
- 112-ounce bunch spinach, stemmed and washed thoroughly in 2 changes of water, or 2 6-ounce bags baby spinach
- 2teaspoons dried mint or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1½cups cooked chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed) (optional)
- 2ounces Gruyère, or 1 ounce each Gruyère and Parmesan, grated (½ cup)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
289 calories; 12 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 574 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the bulgur and salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat, uncover and place a clean dish towel over the pan, then replace the lid. Allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes or longer. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Step 2
Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide skillet or a shallow 3-quart saucepan and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes, sugar, salt to taste, and allspice or cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant sauce, about 20 minutes. Taste, adjust salt and add freshly ground pepper.
- Step 3
Steam the spinach until it wilts, 1 to 2 minutes, rinse briefly with cold water and squeeze out excess water. Do this by the handful to get out all the water. Chop coarsely. Add to the bulgur. Add the mint and the chickpeas if using, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ½ cup of the tomato sauce and toss together.
- Step 4
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Spread the bulgur mixture in the dish in an even layer. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle on the cheese. Drizzle on the last tablespoon of olive oil. Bake 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- Advance preparation: You can assemble this a day in advance and refrigerate. The finished casserole will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. The tomato sauce will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator if you want to get that done ahead as well.
Private Notes
Comments
To save time, it is not necessary to cook bulgur on the stove. Put bulgur in a bowl, cover with boiling water & salt. Put a towel over the bowl and 15 min later - perfect bulgur and no dirty pot.
A food processor for the tomatoes also seems an uneccessary waste of time. (Retrieving, assembling, disassembling, and cleaning a food processor ....ugh!) Why not use crushed tomatoes, or break up the tomatoes with a spoon as they cook?
I only had a fine bulgur so opted to use farro (one cup before it was cooked) for additional chew and higher protein. AMAZING!
I see no reason now to search out a courser bulgur, the farro works so well in this beautifully seasoned dish. I am planning to make some up and freeze it.....hoping to add it to my collection of homemade "fast foods".
This is going to be one of those annoying comments where I say I liked it except I totally changed it. I used farro, not bulgar and cannellini, not garbanzos just because I don't care for the texture of canned garbanzos. I used twice as much garlic, adding 3 cloves to the bean and farro mixture, and I also added more allspice to the bean/farro mix. I wouldn't use cinnamon in this--allspice is the right choice. Topped it with lots more cheese. Result--very tasty!
Added ground cumin and/or cloves to the bulgur mixture to step it up.
This is a nice, filling dish. I used fine bulgur and added a substantial amount of garam masala in place of cinnamon. I omitted the sugar.
I recommend adding more than is listed for the spices, potentially doubling the spices and adding in some of your own favorites (like paprika or cumin). I also used kale as a spinach substitute and just boiled it for 5 minutes before squeezing out the water and adding to the bulgar mix.