040 / 75 · Rice, noodles and pasta

Apricot, Chickpea and Bulgur Bowls

2 bulgur bowls, each with half the chickpeas and 10 g/⅓ oz almonds · Active 19 min · Cook 31 min · Total 50 min

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Apricot gives a small sweet note to a savory bulgur bowl. Cook it with carrot and medium bulgur so it softens into the grain rather than sitting on top like candy. Ready-to-eat chickpeas join once the grain is tender. Lemon, parsley and almonds supply the finish, making a complete two-bowl meal with several textures.

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Apricot and chickpea bulgur bowls with sliced almonds.

Medium bulgur needs a real cook

Use a product labeled medium bulgur with a simmering interval around 12–15 minutes, not fine bulgur intended only for soaking. The microwave method begins by bringing the stock to a bubble, then keeps a gentle reduced-power cook. Stir the bottom regularly and keep liquid available until the grains are tender. An unheated stand alone is not this recipe.

Let the fruit stay savory

Small apricot pieces soften without becoming a separate sweet sauce. Cumin and onion keep the base savory, while measured lemon juice arrives after the grain is cooked. Almonds remain dry until the finish so they keep their contrast. There is no requirement to toast them in another appliance.

Ingredients

  • 100 g (3½ oz) dry medium bulgur, with label simmering time about 12–15 minutes, not fine soaking bulgur
  • 200 g (7 oz) canned ready-to-eat chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 100 g (3½ oz) prepared carrot, cut into 5 mm/3⁄16 in dice
  • 50 g (1¾ oz) peeled onion, finely chopped
  • 30 g ready-to-eat dried apricots (1 oz), cut into 5 mm/3⁄16 in pieces
  • 10 ml olive oil (2 tsp)
  • 300 ml (about 1¼ US cups) ready-to-use lower-sodium vegetable stock, divided
  • Up to 90 ml water (6 tbsp), only if the grain needs more liquid before it softens
  • 1 g ground cumin (about ½ tsp)
  • 0.5 g fine salt, a small pinch, or omit if the stock is salty
  • 15 ml lemon juice (1 tbsp), seeds removed
  • 20 g (0.7 oz) ready-to-eat sliced almonds
  • 4 g washed fresh parsley (about 2 tbsp finely chopped)

Set out

1000 W microwave with turntable, Kitchen scale and measuring jug, Knife and board, Spoon, Oven mitts, Two serving bowls, Microwave-safe bowl, at least 2.5 L/about 2⅔ US qt measured capacity, about 21 cm/8¼ in inside diameter and 10 cm/4 in deep, Microwave-safe vented cover, Fine sieve, Fork, Can opener, Citrus juicer, Food thermometer for leftover reheating checks

Allergens

Wheat, Almonds. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Put the carrot, onion, oil, cumin and 30 ml/2 tbsp of the measured stock in the 2.5 L bowl. Cover with a vent and microwave at 1000 W full power for 3 minutes, stirring halfway, until the onion softens and carrot begins to yield.
  2. Add all the bulgur, chopped apricot, remaining 270 ml stock and salt. Stir, cover with the vent open and heat at full power for 4–5 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes, until the liquid bubbles steadily.
  3. Reduce to 50% power. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stopping every 4 minutes to stir the bottom and turn the grains through the liquid. Keep a gentle simmer; if it stops bubbling completely, use 60% power for the next attended cycle. If the mixture dries while the grains remain firm, add 30 ml/2 tbsp reserve water at a time, up to 90 ml total. Complete at least the package simmering interval and continue in 1-minute bursts until the grain centers and carrot are fully tender.
  4. Fold in all the drained chickpeas. Cover with a vent and heat at full power for 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway, until the added beans are hot throughout. Stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, fold in the lemon juice, parsley and all 20 g almonds, then divide every component equally between two bowls.

Choose the middle grain

The stated simmering product is important. Fine soaking bulgur, coarse bulgur and instant couscous cannot share this exact liquid and timing without a separate adjustment.

All the texture is measured

The 20 g almonds and 4 g parsley are mixed through the whole batch. Do not add a second unmeasured handful on top.

Ingredient labels

Bulgur is wheat and contains gluten. Dried apricots may contain sulfites; stock can contain celery or other allergens. The seed variation changes the ingredients but is not a cross-contact guarantee.

A useful detail

The 50-minute plan allows 9 minutes of preparation, up to 31 minutes of sequential heating, a 5-minute stand and 5 minutes for fluffing and serving. The baseline oven is 1000 W. A slower bulgur product, extra reserve water or additional tenderness bursts can extend the plan; medium grain is not treated as an instant couscous substitute.

Another way

  • Replace 30 g/1 oz apricot with 30 g/1 oz ready-to-eat raisins. Stir them in with the dry bulgur at the same point.
  • Replace 20 g sliced almonds with 20 g/about 2 tbsp ready-to-eat pumpkin seeds. This makes a version without almonds, while stock and cross-contact label checks still apply.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or colder. Use within 3 days or an earlier stock or opened-chickpea deadline. Add 15–30 ml/1–2 tbsp water to a chilled portion and reheat under a vented cover in short stirred bursts; stand 2 minutes and verify 165°F/74°C throughout. For a cold meal, allow full refrigeration before packing; the warm-ready 50-minute total does not include it.