Bulgur, A Thanksgiving Alternative

By Sarah Kauzmann | Posted November 21, 2024

Turkey and Thanksgiving go together like milk and cookies, like peanut butter and chocolate, like bread and butter… You get the point. Sometimes, however, things change and you have to shift your plan.

Last year, my brother and his wife decided to become vegetarians. Although they said the classic things — “Don’t make anything special for us!” and “We’re happy to just go with the flow!” — my mom obviously was more than happy to try out a new recipe in hopes of keeping everyone fed and happy.

Roasted Bulgur and Spiced Carrots

Turns out the recipe she made is now an all-time family favorite, and was even made as part of the welcome dinner at my brother’s wedding! That recipe was a baked bulgur wheat carrot dish that is so easy to make (and super filling).

Bulgur is a whole grain wheat with ancient roots. Some 4,000 years ago, the process to make wheat into bulgur was being used in the Mediterranean region. It has been used in many Middle Eastern regions since then and has now spread world-wide under a variety of names: Cerealis by the Romans; Dagan by the Israelites; and Arisah by a variety of other Middle Easterners.

The ancient process of preparing bulgur involved boiling the wheat for hours or even days then allowing it to completely dry in the sun by spreading it out on rooftops before cracking the now-hard kernels into pieces. These pieces were sieved and collected into different sized batches for different uses.

This ancient process is similar to how we manufacture it today and bulgur is still sold in fine, medium, or coarse variations. In the mid-1900s, after immigrants from the Middle East brought bulgur to the United States, research was conducted on what ancients called the “perfect food” for its resistance to mold and insect contamination and its ability to be stored for long periods of time. The food and nutrition researchers found out the ancients were basically right.

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Although I struggle to say any food is “perfect,” bulgur is quite a nutritional food. Not only is it a whole grain, meaning it contains every part of the wheat kernel, it also contains a variety of vitamins and minerals as well as a good amount of protein and fiber while having slightly less calories than other similar whole grains like brown rice and quinoa.

Bulgur has a mild flavor, sometimes described as slightly nutty, which pairs well with a variety of cuisines and dishes, including: salads; meatballs; and, as a meat substitute in vegan dishes due to its chewy texture. All in all, bulgur is a versatile, healthy, and delicious whole grain that I now personally love. I cannot recommend this recipe enough. If you have someone who is a vegetarian (or vegan) coming over for Thanksgiving, I can say this was a big hit last year.

Sarah Kauzmann is a Montgomery High School graduate, Class of 2012. She earned her master's degree from Lehigh University, Class of 2017. She has been baking since she was old enough to hold a spoon. Owner/operator of pipitsbakery.com.