Apple bulgur pilaf is healthy, delicious and cooked in one pan. With all the nutritional benefits of apples and bulgur, and with turkey as your protein, this dish is not only good for you, it’s also filling and very tasty.
Disclosure: This Apple Bulgur Pilaf post is sponsored by Ontario Apple Growers but all photos, words and opinions are mine. Thank you for supporting the brands and organizations that support me!
Welcome to the last instalment of our delicious apple trilogy! I absolutely loved working with Ontario Apple Growers.
And I feel very lucky to live in Ontario where, according to OAG, “close to 20 different varieties of apples are grown on 16,000 acres. The province’s major apple-producing areas…are spread along the shores of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. These large, deep bodies of water help moderate temperatures, which makes Ontario an ideal place to grow apples!” <happy dance>
For my last recipe, I’m thrilled to share one of our favourite weeknight meals – apple bulgur pilaf.
We love experimenting with different grains and whole wheats, and bulgur is right there at the top of our list!
Add healthy, delicious Ontario apples and you have a one pan meal that I hope becomes a favourite in your family too.
What is bulgur?
We first had bulgur at a Turkish restaurant near where we live. We loved it so much that the next day, we bought bulgur, started experimenting on a few dishes, and haven’t looked back since.
But what is it? Bulgur
is a type of whole wheat durum grain. It’s a common ingredient in Turkish, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.
It’s a great source of vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients. It is low in fat, high in minerals and a good source of plant-based protein.
Plus, bulgur provides a very good dose of the dietary fibre you need for digestive and heart health (source).
Related: Healthy Superfood Breakfast Cookies (with video)
Apple bulgur pilaf
There are many ways to prepare bulgur but usually, we cook bulgur similarly to how we cook rice, couscous
, quinoa
or barley
– boiled, fried like rice or a combination of both.
This time, we made delicious pilaf filled with amazing and tasty ingredients and spices. We usually eat this on its own though it also works great as a side dish to your heartier meals.
Honeycrisp apples
If you recall my first two apple recipes, I chose Empire apples for its tartness and crispiness then Golden Delicious for its sweet mellow taste (remember: always look for the Foodland logo when buying apples to make sure you’re getting only the best and freshest Ontario apples).
For this recipe, we went with Honeycrisp – nice, sweet and juicy! We cooked some of the apples then added diced apples towards the end for that extra crunch. It is delicious.
Complete meal in one pot
This apple bulgur pilaf has everything you need! It has ground turkey, vegetables and spices that bring everything together.
And it just goes to show how versatile apples are. They’re awesome fresh, in desserts or in savoury dishes. Here’s a great apple usage guide to help you find your favourite apple variety and how best to use it.
Hope you enjoyed our apple trilogy as much as we did! Remember, an apple a day!
Apple Bulgur Pilaf with Turkey and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 pc onion diced
- 2 pcs red or yellow bell pepper diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups uncooked bulgur
- 2 pcs Honeycrisp apples peeled, cored and shredded
- 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 pc Honeycrisp apple cored and diced
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix all spices until combined. Set aside.
- In a large skillet on medium high heat, stir onions and bell peppers in oil for 4-5 minutes. Then remove from pan and set aside.
- Place ground turkey in the same pan and brown until almost all the liquid from the meat has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Put back onions and bell pepper in pan. Add spices, garlic and tomato paste. Stir until combined.
- Add bulgur, shredded apples and stir. Then add crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
- Lower the temperature and simmer for another 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is cooked.
- Add diced apples, chopped walnuts and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Serve with shopped parsley.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy cooking!
Did you make apple bulgur pilaf? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
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Paula Schuck
Oh what would I do without Ontario apple growers?? My kids eat an apple a day and have since they were small. These are a staple in my home. It is a lot of fun to bake with them too. I like the Buko salad recipe. I might try that one. Thanks.
Jolina
We always have apples at home too! They’re great aren’t they 🙂
Debbie Lemonte
I love this recipe. Is it possible to replace the Turkey with tofu or vegan proteins and still get the same deliciousness?
Jolina
Hi Debbie. I haven’t personally tried but I’m pretty sure tofu would work well. In fact I think I’ll try that next time. Enjoy!
Veena Azmanov
I have not eaten bulgar in years!! We use to eat if often for breakfast when I was a kid in a boarding school. Since then never had it. I must look for it in the super and try something different, may be this recipe. Sounds so delish. Love turkey and walnuts combo.
Kavita
WAoo…yummy recipe …I will surely prepare it for my sister… Thanks for sharing this delicious meal recipe.
Kate
This looks so good and sounds tasty too. Never tried anything like this and love finding new recipes to try out.
Msddah
This looks very uniquely amazing and I am certain it taste the same. Thanks for sharing!
Kallia
I had the Greek bulgouri and I loved it. I love your dish it sounds ymmy especially because I think apple and turkey is a great match!
Kate
I love all of the flavors in here. It sounds delicious! Especially the apples. Yum!
David Elliott
The meal sounds like such a unique blend of flavors. With both sweet and savory all occurring within one dish. I am not sure my daughter would like it but I would be willing to give it a try.
Mardene Carr
Wow, we have some fantastic recipes today. This is a great way to use Bulgar
Dixya
pilaf is such a flavorful side…never thought of doing it with bulgur. thank you for this idea.
HilLesha
Even though I don’t meat, this dish still looks delicious, nonetheless! My oldest son would probably love it. He loves turkey.
Saidah Washington
Oh my goodness that looks so good! Thanks for the recipe, Ill be needing that.
Victoria
This sounds so good. I’m so surprised that you haven’t used bulgar wheat in this (or did you and I missed it??!) It looks so yummy. I’ll have to try it out. Thanks for sharing!
Jolina
I think bulgur and bulgur wheat are the same thing?
Julie
I can’t get enough apples! This looks so tasty. What a fun way to use them.