Bulgur kaszotto with fresh vegetables and kidney beans recipe
This dish works beautifully as a main for a meat-free dinner or as a generous side alongside grilled fish or chicken.
If you’re leaning into Meat-Free Monday or simply trying to include more plant-based meals in your week, this dish is an easy vegetarian option. Bulgur, sometimes called cracked wheat, has been a staple in Middle Eastern kitchens for centuries. It cooks faster than rice and has a gentle nutty flavour.
Kaszotto is a grain-based take on risotto, traditionally made with whatever is on hand. Here, bulgur is simmered until tender, then folded through with fresh vegetables and hearty kidney beans for protein and substance.
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup bulgur wheat
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup diced carrot
- 1 cup cooked kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup green peas
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the bulgur and toast lightly for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the bulgur is tender and the liquid absorbed.
- In a separate pan, sauté the zucchini, peppers and carrot until just tender but still bright.
- Fold the vegetables, kidney beans and peas into the cooked bulgur.
- Season with salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Finish with chopped parsley and serve warm.
Dish variations
You can easily adapt this dish to suit what you have on hand. For a Mediterranean twist, add chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes, then finish with crumbled feta before serving. Swap the peppers and zucchini for roasted butternut, aubergine or cherry tomatoes when they’re in season. If you want to change up the protein, use chickpeas instead of kidney beans, or top it with a soft-boiled egg if you’re not keeping it fully plant-based.
