March 13, 2019
(last updated January 27, 2020) 
I’m debating whether I should keep including “simple” in my recipe titles, since simple food is the name of the game lately, and really since my internship year started. But I guess it never hurts to call it out.
Anyway: this bulgur chickpea dish is indeed very simple, as the name implies. There’s some cooking time involved (though it’s worth saying that it can be shortened if you tweak the recipe ingredients a little), but the dish involves almost no active work. It’s as easy as mixing ingredients up and slow cooking, but in this case the oven does the work for you.
Beyond that, the recipe is full of nutrition—fiber, protein from the combination of bulgur and beans, adjustable on sodium and naturally low in fat—and incredibly easy to customize. I’ve been using a combination of chickpeas, sweet potatoes, canned tomatoes, and the un-seasonal addition of zucchini. Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and cabbage would all be great additions or substitutions.
Speaking of that: I’ve tried the recipe with butternut squash in place of sweet potato and without either. The cooking time can be reduced to 25 minutes without the sweet potato or winter squash; with one or the other, it needs a full 45 minutes in order for those vegetables to be cooked through. So if you’d like to make this in a pinch, you could try another, faster-cooking veggie instead.
I kept the seasonings simple, but as I’ve been saying often these days, customize with what you have. Plenty of spices would be lovely in the recipe, including crushed red pepper flakes, which I didn’t add only because I tend to be conservative with spice. I don’t recommend skimping on the everyday lemon tahini dressing that’s linked in the recipe below; it gives the dish a touch of acid and creaminess that really enhances the experience of eating it! But if that dressing isn’t your thing, yum sauce or delightfully green tahini dressing would be great, too.
Here is the nourishing, hands-off, and simple indeed recipe.
Simple Baked Bulgur & Chickpeas
Author -Ingredients
- 1 cup bulgur wheat (dry)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed)
- 1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed or peeled and chopped (substitute 1/2 lb cubed butternut or other winter squash)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ras el hanout (substitute 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 batch everyday lemon tahini dressing
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F. Mix all ingredients together in a Dutch oven, a cast iron baking dish with a lid, or any other casserole dish with a lid. Cover and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes.
- While the bulgur bakes (or ahead of time) make the everyday lemon tahini dressing. To serve, drizzle the bulgur generously with the dressing and enjoy!
Notes
To shorten cooking time to 25 minutes covered and 5 uncovered, omit the sweet potato or replace it with a faster cooking vegetable (like cauliflower or green beans).
This recipe is a truly perfect option for meal prep/batch cooking, since it can simmer away in the oven while you do or prep anything else you need. And it makes generous portions: enough for four hearty dinner components (I’ve been serving it simply, with steamed greens and lots of the dressing) or six portions if you’re using it as a side dish with something else that’s substantial. No matter how you serve it, I hope it saves you time and gives you pleasure.
This week has been busy so far, with a nutrition workshop/conference yesterday and my final week at my current internship site. I’ve used my evenings to get grounded as best I can and my mornings to reflect on things during my commute. It’s all a work in progress…but it’s progressing. Happy Wednesday, friends!
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Main Dishes
Method: Oven
Ingredients: Chickpeas, Sweet Potato, Tahini
Dietary Preferences: No Oil, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Method: Oven
Ingredients: Chickpeas, Sweet Potato, Tahini
Dietary Preferences: No Oil, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
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I made this twice, once following the recipe precisely and once with a few minor changes.
It was delicious as is, but if you have some extra time, I recommend the following:
Brown the sweet potatoes in a little olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove potatoes and set aside, then brown zucchini; next, add the sweet potatoes back, then add garlic and stir for 30 seconds-1 minute until fragrant, then add spices and stir for 30 seconds. Finally, add remaining ingredients and follow the rest of the recipe. It takes a few minutes more but really deepens the flavors.
I love hearing about your modifications, Nancy! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m glad you enjoy the recipe.
This was fantastic and I will for sure be cooking it again. However, there are a few things I would change next time.
– The sweet potatoes were far too al dente. Next time I would blanch then for 5 minutes before adding them.
– I ended up with too much liquid. I would reduce the stock to 2 cups.
I thought it was just as good without the sauce, so if you are looking to save time/calories skipping it is no problem.
This looks so delicious and simple! Love those kind of meals. Do you think I could sub in another grain? I know bulgur is one of the main ingredients, but just wondering if I can make this without running to the store! Quinoa, rice? Thanks!
Thanks Brianna! Quinoa will work for sure 🙂
Made this for dinner a couple of nights ago. It was delicious…and the next day too!
So glad you enjoyed it, Deb!
Delicious and… simple, just how it should be 🙂 great recipe
Simple is the name of our game these days, too! We’re still cooking our way through Power Plates- made the sweet potato/black bean bowls with chimichurri last night) and, I really can’t tell you enough, love how quick everything comes together while still being healthful for all of us.
I’m so happy the book is giving you pleasure, Katie!
This is delicious! I served this with sauteed swiss chard and mushrooms
I just tried that recipe and it was so good that can’t control myself to give a compliment to it.
Will love to try more recipe’s by you. Thanks!!
Omg, this looks amazing! I’m always dying to taste the recipes you share.
I’ve been eating more chick peas lately ever since a friend told me the secret to using a pressure cooker to speed up the process. Going to try out this lovely recipe!
Lovely, Gena! Here’s to simple, nutrient-dense, deliciousness.
I just made this and really enjoyed it. The only glitch I ran into was needing to cook it longer with the lid on. I might have cut my veggies a bit too large. But 20 extra minutes covered, followed by the 10 uncovered, and it was perfect. Great drizzled with the tahini sauce. Love how healthy and tasty this is. Thank you!