By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Rating
- 4(189)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Bulgur comes in one of four grades: fine (bags are often labeled #1), medium (#2), coarse (#3) and very coarse (#4). The different grinds are used for specific types of dishes. Pilafs are made with medium, coarse or very coarse bulgur. Tabbouleh and kibbe are made with fine bulgur.This is a convenient grain to keep on hand in the pantry. It’s easy to find in whole foods stores and in Middle Eastern markets. Don’t confuse it with cracked wheat, which is another product made from raw wheat berries. Because bulgur is made from precooked wheat berries, it takes only about 20 minutes to reconstitute by soaking or by simmering. It has a wonderful nutty flavor and a light texture.
Featured in: The Benefits of Bulgur
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves four to six
- 1cup bulgur (medium or coarse grade)
- Salt to taste
- ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1pound Swiss chard, heavy stems removed, washed well
- 4large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ¼cup chopped fresh dill or parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3ounces feta cheese, crumbed or cut in small squares
For the Bulgur With Swiss Chard, Chickpeas and Feta
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
334 calories; 14 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 468 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.
Preparation
For the Bulgur With Swiss Chard, Chickpeas and Feta
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 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and uncover. Place a clean dish towel over the pan, then replace the lid. Allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
Step
2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Toss the cooked bulgur with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread in the baking dish in an even layer.
Step
3
Add water to a steamer pot, and bring to a boil. Place the Swiss chard in the steamer (you can use a pasta pot with an insert for this), and steam until it wilts, about four to five minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and squeeze out the excess water with your hands. Chop coarsely and transfer to a bowl.
Step
4
Heat another tablespoon of the olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant and translucent, 30 seconds to a minute, and scrape into the bowl with the chard. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chickpeas and dill. Season with salt and pepper, and toss together.
Step
5
Lay the chard mixture over the bulgur. Top with the feta, and gently push the feta cheese down into this mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until sizzling. Serve hot.
- Advance preparation: Reconstituted bulgur keeps well in the refrigerator for three or four days and can be frozen. Reheat in the oven (350 degrees for 20 minutes), in a pan on top of the stove or in the microwave. Steamed chard will keep for three days in the refrigerator. You can assemble the dish several hours before baking. Cover and chill if holding for more than an hour.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
Ratings
4
out of 5
189
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Cooking Notes
Kevin Osinski
Good, but could be streamlined and improved. Rather than steaming, sauté chard in pan with garlic, along with chopped stems and onions if desired. Consider adding any or all of the following to the chard mixture: chopped preserved lemon, kalamata olives, toasted nuts like almonds or pistachios. A little crushed red pepper or hot sauce is good too. Makes 4 somewhat small main course servings by itself, 6 with a side dish.
Sarah
I followed the suggestions from Kevin O -- they were great. I added chopped up kalamata olives, roasted pecans (that's what I had), too much (LOLOL) garlic, and a big squeze of lemon at the end. After a raucous week of wedding and birthday celebrations, it was a very welcome shift. Can't wait for leftover-lunch today.
John S
This is good -- and certainly healthy -- but I think it needs a little more pizzazz. More garlic, I think, at least. And a little spiciness. I served it with pickled peppers.
Margaret
Cooked the chard with onion, left out garlic, used dill. Added olives, preserved lemon and pistachios, squirt of lemon after bake. Olives and lemon good addition - add more lemon. Add pistachios after bake rather than before as got lost. Really liked the bulgar. Hubby thought too dry, so added some broth and turned his into soup - he liked it. Had as add on to salad as leftover - with addition of oil and vinegar was wonderful.
anne w
I did not boil the Swiss chard. After cooking the garlic in an oven proof skillet, I wilted the chard with the garlic. Then I added the prepared bulgar, chickpeas and feta. Saves on the cleanup. This would be good with any grain or mixture ther of.
Natalia
If you don't know what to do with stems, I recommend another NYT Cooking recipe, grilled swiss-chard stems with roasted garlic oil by Gabrielle Hamilton. You can prepare it while waiting for the bulgur to bake, and it works great as a side dish.
KC Greaney
Bake covered, or uncovered?
Kim
I also sautéed the chard for simplicity. Any grain will work well; I used farro. I also added some other green vegetables, preserved lemon and Urfa Biber. The next day I served it cold for lunch, on a bed of arugula, and added red bell pepper, tomatoes, and cucumber for brightness and crunch.
Ajewel
Made this a salad instead of a baked dish. Used all the ingredients listed except used a mixed greens package. Prepped the bulgur, browned the garlic and added the greens to wilt, and then the chickpeas to get oily and flavored. Mixed all into the bulgur & added some spices (mixed spice--how lazy can you get?), salt and pepper. Serving at room temp with toasted walnuts, cheeses--gruyere, asiago/rosemary, feta, & homemade tigernut bread & store-bought baguette. Grapes? Basic unbaked recipe is yum
Faith H
I stir fried chard with garlic. Used Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca beans instead of chickpeas (which I didn’t have on hand), added another ounce or so of feta, and topped with toasted pine nuts. Yummy.
Jacqueline
I skipped the steaming the chard and sautéed in the pan with garlic and onion. I added the red pepper flake at this stage, & 4 cloves of garlic. I make the chickpeas from dry, & misread the instructions and tossed them in the casserole pan with the bulgar & oil. They didn't suffer for the lack of sautéing. I added some toasted almonds & kalamata olives. Cooked the bulgur in veggie stock, & added veggie stock to the bake to avoid drying out. Filling & tasty but needed 2 servings.
Hearty vegetarian main
I swapped fresh herbs for dried (1.5t of each), and it was lovely. Also added in some kale to get to the weight. I think I would next time reduce the bulgur a touch (I prefer veg-heavy dishes) and bake this in four separate ramekins for ease of portioning.
Cecilia
This turned out a little dry. I will definitely use the recipe again and improvise more, using stock with grain, and adding other vegetables and toasted nuts. It was delicious served drizzled with extra olive oil, fresh parsley, and lemon wedges.
Catherine Friedman
Don't overcook bulgar. When doing whole recipe in pan, remember to remove vegetables and then dry out bulgar. Then add veg. back
Amy M.
We loved this as a cool night, fall dish. Very tasty just as is.
Sarah
I followed the suggestions from Kevin O -- they were great. I added chopped up kalamata olives, roasted pecans (that's what I had), too much (LOLOL) garlic, and a big squeze of lemon at the end. After a raucous week of wedding and birthday celebrations, it was a very welcome shift. Can't wait for leftover-lunch today.
David
Even though this is time-consuming and uses a few pots, it's a pretty straightforward dish to make. The saltiness of the feta was key.
Emily
Next time, I'd try cooking the bulgur in stock to add more flavor as well
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