The Garden Grazer

Bulgur Vegetable Chili

By 24 Comments

Have you ever cooked with bulgur? I bought it on a whim recently, and 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 definitely worth noting that I bought quick-cooking bulgur from Trader Joe’s, cutting the cooking time way down (about 10-15 minutes instead of 45). So if you have regular bulgur, you’ll need to let it simmer longer. 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. Hope you enjoy too!

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5 from 1 vote

Bulgur Vegetable Chili

Warm and satisfying Vegan Bulgur Vegetable Chili! Packed with hearty, cozy ingredients to keep you warm during the winter months.
Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Total Time:45 minutes
Category: Soup
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings:4 medium bowls

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 1/2 cups corn (I used frozen)
  • 8 oz. cherry tomatoes
  • 15 oz. can kidney beans
  • 2/3 cup quick-cooking bulgur (or 1/2 cup for less thick)
  • 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 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)

Instructions

  • Prep veggies: dice onion, bell pepper, carrot, and zucchini. Mince garlic and halve tomatoes.
  • In a stockpot over medium-high heat, sauté onion, bell pepper, carrot, and zucchini for about 7-8 minutes.
  • Add garlic, corn, tomatoes, and spices. Sauté another 3 minutes.
  • Add 3 cups broth, tomato sauce, bulgur, and beans (rinsed and drained).
  • 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.

Notes

If not using quick-cooking bulgur, you'll need to let it simmer for about 45 minutes instead of 10-15 minutes.
Adapted from Naturally Ella

Nutrition Per Serving (estimate)

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 1311mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 4833IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 5mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @thegardengrazer on Instagram and hashtag it #thegardengrazer. I love seeing your recreations!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  9. jhayes

    I made this last night & it was a huge hit. Thank you so much. I had never even noticed the cute little bags of quick cook bulgur, barley and farro at TJ's before you mentioned it! Great find. I will def. be making this chili again!

    Reply

    • Kaitlin M

      Hi there! Great to hear from you and so happy to have you here! I've never tried freezing this recipe, but I bet it would work awesome as a freezer meal. I love this chili so much I think I'll do a double batch next time and freeze half – thanks for the idea 🙂

      Reply

  11. eM

    The dish is amazing. I also add kale, more corn, and more chili once on my plate, because it wasn't even midly hot 🙂
    Thanks for that! Just eating my dinner!

    Reply

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