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Lentils and Bulgur Wheat with Caramelized Onions

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LIZ DELLA CROCE

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Lentils and bulgur wheat with caramelized onions is a delicious Middle Eastern dish. A great source of protein and fiber, it is also a tasty Vegetarian entree.

If I had to eat one type of food every day for the rest of my life, it would be Middle Eastern food.

When we go out to eat, I crave it. When we’re celebrating a holiday, I make it. If it’s a day that ends in ‘y’, I want it!

This particular dish is made with lentils and bulgur wheat which are cooked together in just a little water, salt and pepper then topped with caramelized onions.

This is a humble, affordable dish but it is always a family-favorite. Great for serving a crowd, it tastes delicious warm, room temperature or chilled.

To start, you’ll want to pan-fry the onions in olive oil until they become caramelized and sweet.

How long does it take to caramelize onions?

This step can take a little bit of time but I promise the end result is worth it. Depending on how many onions you wish to fry, I typically recommend at least one inch of oil and letting them cool down for about 30-45 minutes, stirring regularly.

Once the onions are caramelized, remove from the pan and let strain on a plate lined with paper towel. This will help remove any excess oil.

Once the onions are done caramelizing, you’ll cook the bulgur and lentils in the same pan. This allows you to use that delicious flavor from frying the onions to season the whole dish.

To serve, you’ll top each bowl of lentils and bulgur wheat with caramelized onions. If you have fresh parsley and plain yogurt, I highly recommend that as well.

Want more delicious Lebanese recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:

All of these recipes, and every Middle Eastern recipe I share, are dishes you can feel good about serving. Full of flavor and loaded in vitamins, nutrients and healthy fats, they will leave you feeling satisfied and happy.

These recipes hold a special place in my heart and remind me of the special occasions where we’ve enjoyed these dishes. (Did I mention one Christmas we prepared nothing but traditional Syrian food?)  I’ll take hummus over turkey any day of the week.

Your fork is waiting.

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Lentils and Bulgur Wheat with Caramelized Onions?

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Lentils and Bulgur Wheat with Caramelized Onions

4 stars average
Liz Della Croce
Lentils and bulgur wheat with caramelized onions is a delicious Middle Eastern dish. A great source of protein and fiber, it is also a tasty Vegetarian entree.
PREP: 5 minutes
COOK: 1 hour
TOTAL: 1 hour 5 minutes
Pin
Servings6

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large onions (thinly sliced)
  • 1 cup dried lentils (rinsed and sorted)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup bulgur wheat
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ cup parsley (minced)
  • Plain yogurt (optional, to serve)

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat and add the onion slices. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until brown and caramelized. If they begin to burn, reduce heat to medium or even medium-low. Keep them moving! Remove onions from pan and set aside.
  • Add lentils and water to the same pan and boil for 15 minutes, uncovered.
  • Stir in bulgur, salt and pepper then bring to a simmer. Place a lid on the pan then reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 additional minutes then fluff with a fork.
  • Spread pilaf on a platter and top with caramelized onions and chopped parsley. Serve with plain yogurt.

Last Step:

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Liz’s Notes

Nutritional Information (per serving): 235 calories, 2.6 g fat, .3 g sat fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 587 mg sodium, 41.5 g carb, 9.4 g fiber, 12.2 g protein (Excellent source of iron).

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 598mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 3mg


4 from 53 votes (48 ratings without comment)

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31 responses to “Lentils and Bulgur Wheat with Caramelized Onions”

  1. Schuyler Avatar
    Schuyler

    Same problem someone else mentioned, after 15 minutes all the water had boiled out. Added the bulgar anyway and reduced to low as instructed, but noticed the lentils sticking to the bottome of the pan and added another half cup of water. Hope it turns out.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      1 cup of lentils usually only calls for 2 cups of water, which I double in this recipe as it’s cooking the bulgur wheat as well. I’m honestly not sure how all of the water could’ve boiled out that quick! Are you at a high altitude by chance?

      1. Schuyler Avatar
        Schuyler

        Maybe because i added bullion paste? Could the salt in that have made it cook out quicker? Idk. I ended uo adding 2 more cups of water, bringing to a boil then reducing to simmer, and it turned out very well.

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          Maybe! I’m glad it ended up working out for you either way!

  2. Lina Avatar
    Lina

    Very pleasant change to rice and beans! I followed the recipe pretty closely, but used a different pan for the lentils and bulgur. My bad! They stuck a bit, and I’m sure it would not have happened if I followed the original recipe! All amounts seem good–the liquid to cook the lentils and bulgur worked out perfectly! I did follow one comment and just stirred the caramelized onions into everything. Delicious! My son and his girlfriend both gave lots of compliments!

  3. Tricia Hauff Avatar
    Tricia Hauff

    I make this but I saute my onions in ghee, just prefer that flavor with my grains like my kibee.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      That sounds delicious!

  4. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    Hi!

    I followed this recipe exactly the way it’s written and by the time the lentils were done all the water had been soaked up. After I added the bulgur I added some more water, but my mixture got mushy. What could I have done wrong?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      How much more water did you add when you added the bulgur wheat? You shouldn’t need to add any more water.

  5. Cheryl Avatar
    Cheryl

    I like everything softer than most, how soft will the lentils be with the cooking time?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      They still have a bit of a firm bite, let them simmer for an extra 5-10 minutes if you like them softer.