Bulgur Wheat & Red Lentil Blend
The base that quietly does the most work. Red lentils dissolve completely into the bulgur as it steams, so you get a serious fibre and protein upgrade that nobody eating it can detect.
why it works
Bulgur is a genuine whole grain, so it beats couscous, orzo and white rice outright for cholesterol. Adding red lentils layers pulse fibre on top of grain fibre and pushes the protein up without adding anything you can taste or see. This is the highest-value swap on the whole site.
Ingredients
- 120g bulgur wheat, dry
- 40g dried red lentils (roughly 2 rounded tablespoons)
- 320ml boiling water or low-sodium vegetable stock
Method
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Combine the bulgur and red lentils in a medium saucepan. Roughly a 3:1 ratio of grain to pulse is the sweet spot — enough lentil to matter, not enough to turn it to mush.
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Pour over the boiling water or stock, put a tight lid on, turn the heat right down and simmer for 12 minutes.
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Take it off the heat but keep the lid on, and let it sit and steam for a few more minutes. The lentils will have softened completely into the grain.
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Fork it through to fluff it up before serving.
The ratios
- Two portions — 120g bulgur, 40g red lentils, 320ml liquid
- Three portions — 130g bulgur, 65g red lentils, 400ml liquid
- Plain bulgur, no lentils — 40g dry per person, 200ml liquid per 80g, covered, heat turned off, 10–12 minutes
remix
- Plain bulgur on its own — 40g dry per person, 200ml stock per 80g, covered, heat off, 10–12 minutes
- Low-sodium stock rather than water, always
- A pinch of oregano and garlic powder in the water for a Greek lean, or cumin and smoked paprika for a Middle Eastern one
- Fork a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley through at the end
- Scales to three portions with 130g bulgur, 65g lentils and 400ml stock — dinner for two plus tomorrow's lunch