Bulgur with Mushrooms and Feta | Ottolenghi’s Simple

An efficient and well-sourced pantry of everyday ingredients my family loves to eat has taken me years to establish. The pantry inspires the wellspring of ideas for meals day in and day out. During the unprecedented shelter in place orders that’s forcing most of us to stay home for weeks, if not months, the well-stocked pantry is more than practical. It’s giving me a source of comfort and some degree of normalcy. In this highly uncertain time, I can count on that a delicious meal is not only accessible, but reassuring. I make bulgur with mushrooms and feta drawing on a few simple ingredients from the pantry.

If you don’t have bulgur, any wheat grains, rice and pulses can be substituted. Even a can of chickpeas and beans can take the place of bulgur. However, it’s hard to match the ease of preparation of bulgur. Soak the bulgur wheat in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain and you’re done. It can’t be simplier.

Then comes the star ingredient, the mushrooms. I love mushrooms as an important flavor factor for numerous dishes and sauces. Umami comes to mind. The sensation is difficult to characterize but some describe it as savory, meaty, mouth-watering, and having depth or roundness. Mushrooms deliver that.

As we know, mushrooms play second fiddle readily. Moreover, it can clearly shine on its own. Recently, I posted Jamie Oliver’s mushroom stroganoff, a vegetarian version of beef stroganoff. Happy to report you won’t be missing the beef — as long as you have some fresh mushrooms on hand. For substitutions, besides beef, chicken, turkey or shrimp can be used.

Another indispensable pantry item in this and many other dishes are the aromatics, such as onion, shallot, leek and garlic. Here you add the onion slices in a large pan and saute them in oil until soft and caramelized. The well-executed caramelized onion forms the flavor base. I have even put them in bread and naan with great success.

Spring feels close and my vegetable patch brings hope of a new beginning. Shoots of chives have risen and thyme leaves are turning vibrantly green. Nature reminds us all must pass and new life springs forth when all seems lost.

Print Recipe

Bulgur with Mushrooms and Feta

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup 2 tbsp / 150g bulgur wheat
• 1 cup plus 1 tbsp / 250ml boiling water
• 65 ml olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced (170g prepped weight)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 lb 2 oz / 500g mixed mushrooms, sliced 4mm-5mm thick (or torn apart if wild)
• 2 tbsp picked thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup / 10g dill, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
• 2 1/4 oz / 60g feta, broken into 1cm-2cm pieces
• 1 tsp Urfa chilli flakes (or ½ tsp of regular chilli flakes)
• salt and black pepper

Instructions

1

Rinse the bulgur and place in a large bowl. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then pour over the boiling water. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and set aside for 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the bulgur is soft. Drain, if there is any liquid left, and set aside.

2

Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large sauté pan and place on a medium high heat. Add the onion and fry for 7-8 minutes, until soft and caramelised. Add ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds and continue to fry for 1-2 minutes, until dark golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3

Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan and increase the heat to high. Mix in the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon of salt and fry for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have browned and softened. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds and the thyme and continue to heat for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for about 30 seconds: it should reduce to practically nothing. Stir in the bulgur, onion, dill, feta and chilli flakes, until warmed through, then remove from the heat.

4

Spoon the bulgur and mushrooms on to a large platter or two individual plates. Sprinkle over some extra dill, drizzle with the remaining oil and serve.

Notes

Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Simple