Apple Bulgur Pilaf with Turkey and Walnuts

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!

Happy cooking!

Did you make apple bulgur pilaf? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

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