Greek Bulgur With Brussels Sprouts

Updated Dec. 13, 2022

Greek Bulgur With Brussels Sprouts
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
4(165)
Comments
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I love the way the bulgur swells and fluffs after you let this comforting, nourishing dish sit once it’s cooked. In fact, I liked the leftovers even more than the freshly made dish. I also love the lemony flavor, the result of just a small amount of lemon juice added at the end of cooking. This is one of the few times I am happy to allow brussels sprouts to cook until they are quite soft.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6
  • 1pound brussels sprouts
  • ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1medium onion, chopped
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 1teaspoon sweet paprika
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 114.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes, or 1½ cups chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 1cup coarse bulgur
  • 2cups water
  • ¼cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼cup chopped fresh dill
  • Juice of 1 lemon (more to taste)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

220 calories; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 681 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

  1. Step 1

    Trim brussels sprouts and quarter, or if very small just cut in half.

  2. Step 2

    Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a deep, lidded skillet or a wide, lidded saucepan. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add brussels sprouts and cook, stirring often, until coated with oil and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add paprika and tomatoes and cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes, until tomatoes have begun to cook down and soften a bit. Season to taste.

  3. Step 3

    Add bulgur and stir to coat with the tomato mixture. Add water, more salt to taste, parsley and dill and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, until water has been absorbed.

  4. Step 4

    Remove from heat, uncover and quickly stir in lemon juice. Place a towel across the top of the pan. Return lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot, with the remaining olive oil drizzled over the top.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: I like this even better the second day, because the bulgur gets even more fluffy. Reheat in a medium oven, on top of the stove or in the microwave. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
165 user ratings
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Comments

To make this a bit more satisfying as main dish I made a few adjustments: increase the tomatoes as others suggested (I used fresh) and the paprika; decrease the water (due to added tomato juices); add a carrot and a can of chickpeas; I used oregano in place of dill; sprikle either sliced almonds or crumbled feta (or both!) on top and serve!

My husband and I enjoyed this. I used leeks and doubled the tomatoes, as suggested. The lemon juice gives the dish a nice piquancy - very nice undertone. We're mostly vegetarian and this was a nice hearty meal.

This was nice as a SIDE dish with glazed salmon (brown sugar and dijon mustard). I added more garlic than called for and added feta at the end when serving as suggested. I used canned tomatoes. A fine way to cook brussels sprouts for the fall when they are in season and plentiful.

This was quite good. I used quinoa instead of bulgur.

What a wonderful vegetarian dish (vegan if you omit the feta -- but I wouldn't!)! Definitely do add the can of chickpeas to make a heartier main as opposed to a good side.

It was ok, the best part was the brussel sprouts but I found the whole thing too "stewed tomatoey" flavor and a wet / overly moist texture which if you like then this is the recipe for you. I was just hoping for a light fluffy bulgur with more of a fresh / light tomato flavor.

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