Bulgur Vegetable Chili

Have you ever cooked with bulgur? I bought it on a whim recently while strolling through the grocery store. It caught my eye because I've never cooked with it (let alone even tasted it) so I was excited and curious to try it out. Upon doing a little research, I found that bulgur is a cereal food made from many different wheat species, and can be used to substitute rice or couscous. I went looking for recipe ideas and found a vegan chili from Naturally Ella. I used that as a guideline and couldn't resist tossing in a few more veggies. It's worth noting that I bought quick-cooking bulgur, cutting the cooking time way down (about 10-15 minutes instead of 45). If you have regular bulgur, you'll need to let it simmer longer. Let me tell you... my first bulgur-cooking experience was a huge success! I found it to be a wonderful substitute for the meat you'd find in traditional chili - it really thickened it up and made it hearty. It was so delicious I kept going back throughout the day to get more.

Vegan, gluten-free (if you replace bulgur with quinoa, rice, etc.)
Adapted from Naturally Ella

Ingredients
1 green pepper
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 zucchini
1 carrot
1 1/2 cups corn (I used frozen)
8 oz. cherry tomatoes
15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup bulgur (or 1/2 cup for less thick)
15 oz. can tomato sauce (1 1/2 cups)
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (more for a bigger kick)

Directions
Prep veggies: dice onion, bell pepper, carrot, zucchini, mince garlic, and halve tomatoes.
In a stockpot over medium-high heat, sauté onion, bell pepper, carrot, zucchini, and garlic for about 7-8 minutes.
Add corn, tomatoes, and spices. Sauté another 3 minutes.
Add 3 cups broth, tomato sauce, bulgur, and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bulgur is cooked. (Or about 45 minutes if using regular bulgur.)
It will become very thick as the bulgur absorbs the liquid, and even more after sitting a bit. Add more broth/water to thin it out if desired.

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