Bulgur, Spinach and Tomato Casserole Recipe (2024)

I only had a fine bulgur so opted to use farro (one cup before it was cooked) for additional chew and higher protein. AMAZING!
I see no reason now to search out a courser bulgur, the farro works so well in this beautifully seasoned dish. I am planning to make some up and freeze it.....hoping to add it to my collection of homemade "fast foods".

This is going to be one of those annoying comments where I say I liked it except I totally changed it. I used farro, not bulgar and cannellini, not garbanzos just because I don't care for the texture of canned garbanzos. I used twice as much garlic, adding 3 cloves to the bean and farro mixture, and I also added more allspice to the bean/farro mix. I wouldn't use cinnamon in this--allspice is the right choice. Topped it with lots more cheese. Result--very tasty!

You don't have to cook the spinach. I washed it and ran it through a lettuce spinner. Then I chopped it fine and added it to the warm tomato sauce, warm bulgar, and the warm chick peas I had cooked from dried, and the spinach wilted. The resulting casserole was not in the least bit watery. In this way, you can preserve the nutrients from the spinach without literally wringing them out.

This recipe calls on the use of four different pots and blender, when it would be so much easier to make a one pot meal, stovetop to oven. Start by cooking the bulgur in a large cast-iron pot (or something that can go in the oven later). During the last two minutes put the spinach on top, cover and let it wilt along with some minced garlic. Add about two cups of tomato sauce to this and the cheese. Stir. Add some more cheese on top, bake. My substitutions: kidney beans, chili powder, basil.

I made this with freekeh, palestinian cracked wheat that has a slightly smoky flavor, and feta cheese. They made the taste both deeper and sharper. Some chopped walnuts would add some welcome crunch.

No bulgar in the house (???!!!) so substituted farro and we loved the dish.
Will try with bulgar to compare but with farro's higher protein content we'll probably use it most often.

Or use a hand blender for the tomatoes?

Thoroughly enjoyed this as a main dish. I did follow others' suggestions and cooked the bulgur by pouring boiling water over it then letting it sit, which saved me some time and a bowl.

I cooked the tomato-spinach sauce part of this because I was looking for a quick but tasty weeknight sauce. I made it to mix with pasta. It was delicious. We all liked it, although I guess I can't comment on the recipe as a whole. I made the sauce pretty much per the recipe, with the allspice option. Since I didn't bake it or actually cook pasta in it, San Marzano tomatoes were probably a must. Plus I just stir my raw spinach right into the sauce, which adds a little water.

One of my diners joked that this was "Tabouleh Hot Dish" but that's actually a much better name for it than Bulgur-Spinach-Tomato casserole.Tips: -- double the amount of gruyere (if you can afford the second mortgage)-- let it cook a bit longer than you think -- the gruyere caramelizes or something with the last bit of browning and it's really yummy-- DEFINITELY use chickpeas and fresh mint.

This was an excellent weeknight supper. Satisfying and simple but not knock your socks off. It will become a go to as these are ingredients I have usually on hand. Would try with kale, chard or escarole. Seems like any green in the fridge would do.

Made it with freekeh instead of bulghur, canellini instead of chick peas (they have more body), and it was delicious. Do not skimp or omit tghe mint--it really helps bring everything together. Breakup the tomatoes with your hands--no need for a food processor.

made with faro as some suggestef. Would use frozen chopped spinach next time. A!so would mix most of sauce into grain mixture, use more cheese and mix about half into grains and up the seasoning. Leftovers tastier than dish just out of oven.

Like several others, I also wanted to minimize dishes. So I just did some soaking of the bulgur like I normally do, using #2 bulgur because I had it on hand. I also used kale, largely because I don't like how slimy spinach can get as leftovers. I chopped it up and tossed it in raw with the bulgur and it came out perfectly. I also did not bust out the food processor, and just used the diced tomatoes cooked down. I liked the contrast of the chunks of tomatoes.

This recipe was not my favorite so when it was done baking and had cooled, i removed the cheese from the top and added toasted pine nuts, raisins and crumbled feta, then mixed. I had also used farro, maybe it would have tasted better with the bulgur the recipe called for. I also think it needed less tomato sauce and more spinach.

This was much better than expected! Very satisfying for a usually-carnivorous household. Added a bit of red pepper flakes, which worked well. I used different cheeses (chevere, feta, swiss) and it was fine--plenty of room for variation. I will definitely make this again.

This was a major fail for me. As per others, used crushed tomatoes, did not pre cook the spinach. Used the bulgur I had - was probably not coarse. Did use chick peas. The whole thing was texturally unappealing. Also, mint is not good in this. Should have used basil,or oregano. And it could have used double the cheese! At today’s grocery prices cannot afford to waste ingredients like this as it makes 6 servings and there are only two of us. Will probably add sausage to the leftovers.

Use farro; canned diced tomatoes; 12 oz frozen spinach leaf or put the baby spinach directly into the sauce to cook. Make into one pot dish as much as possible

Since it's winter and I don't mind keeping the oven on, I slightly changed the way the dish was made. First, I made the sauce as directed. I then added 1 cup of farro (is what I had), 1 cup of water and 1 cup of chicken broth. I then added the mint (a little extra doesn't hurt) and chickpeas, and put all into my cast iron pan. I then put this in the oven for an hour. Approx. 40 min. in I added the chopped fresh spinach, more water, and cheese. Was superb, both DH and 16yo son loved it. A keeper!

This was okay. I appreciate the versatility, you could throw in any green, any type of cheese or beans, and really even any grain. That being said, I probably won't make it again. The texture was just mush, it wasn't all that flavorful, and it wasn't really all that quick to prepare and eat.

Not very filling. Use 2 cans of chickpeas?

Took the advice of other posters and made this with chevre cheese, cannellini beans, farro and allspice (no cinnamon). Nice vegetarian entree.

I will do this again. Liked it a lot and so did my family, but next time I would use less tomatoes. Also it does not need the garbanzo beans. Agreed with the notes that no need to cook bulgur, just use boiling water and let it sit. I wonder if using frozen spinach would work well also. I did not cook down the spinach

Comments on fire, yes! Join in? Don't mind if I do:Used 16 oz frozen spinach seasoned w nutmeg, pearl barley, kidney beans, mozzarella & feta, scant cinnamon.Number of pots and pans *can* be streamlined; keep in mind the final dish is layered, so prepare for that.Definitely build seasoning/salt as you go. For sauce, combined 1 can diced and half can crushed, hand-crushing mixtures w potato masher.In composing final 'Tabbouleh Hot Dish' I ended up using 3/4 of all ingredients except sauce.

Made this dish as is multiple times – love it! I always place a bit more cheese on top!

Followed the terrific comments. Well-liked. Recipe can and will be altered in many ways, including reducing pans and steps. Used bulgur and soaked. Added rinsed garbanzos. It tended towards wet, so next time will watch for that, but delicious anyway. Farro, freekeh, brown rice will all have a chance.

Made as is except used farro.

This is a great recipe. Even my meat-loving family really enjoyed it. I suggest doubling the amt. of cheese on top. I also substituted fresh basil for the mint (b/c that's all I had on hand) and it was delicious. And I agree with other comments that you can use whatever tomato sauce you prefer, of course fresh is best!