Cabbage With Tomatoes, Bulgur and Chickpeas Recipe (2024)

I was looking for a delicious way to use up a big CSA cabbage, and this recipe did the trick! I omitted the bulgur and water, and used another can of chickpeas instead. I also added more paprika, vinegar, and sugar to taste.

The first time i made this I used red wine vinegar. The second time I doubled the paprika, used almost 3/4 cup of fresh dill, and used sherry vinegar. we liked the result much better.

This is very easy and delicious. My teenagers enjoyed as well. Happy to have some leftovers for lunch.

Couldn't disagree more strongly with this assessment of Martha Rose Shulman's gorgeous meal. I have made this a number of times and am about to do so again today...which is what brought me to this site and the review by "Jolly." I especially love the dill/paprika combination. The only modification I have ever made is to use veggie broth instead of water...but that is completely optionalThis is a wonderful complete meal and it most emphatically is NOT heavy tasting...just yummy as well as healthy

Fairly bland as made. Not sure how it received 5 stars, Acceptable as condiment on a hamburger. We experimented with a few different spices using small portions to see what might do the trick. We found that mustard improved the flavor profile so dried mustard might be worth adding. Also tried a chipolte spice blend that worked nicely.

I started making this last year as a take to work for lunch dish, but it was also a good quarantine pantry dish for me. I make it more Spanish style than Greek by skipping the dill and using smoked paprika instead of sweet and using sherry vinegar. I have found that adding an extra splash of vinegar just before eating really helps brighten up the flavors

Added quite a lot of tomato paste and used red wine instead of water. Skipped sugar as that sweet&sour thing doesn't appeal, added garlic. A commenter said it lacked umami, to which in my kitchen there is only one solution: Anchovies! Yes! I admit, a lot of changes, but the idea is still quite similar, and very delicious.

Would do well with some garlic as well

This was not good as written. Someone else said something about the bland, mushy bad ol’ days of vegetarian cooking, and I couldn’t agree more. I made some adjustments, though, and it turned this dish into a winner: added a lot more paprika and sherry vinegar and then topped everything with toasted, chopped almonds, chili oil and Spero brand vegan goat cheese (cultured sunflower seeds). My partner loved it and is excited to have lots of leftovers.

I made this after searching for bulgur recipes to use some I had. I'm not a Vegan or a Vegetarian. But, once cooked, I found myself going back for more and more. It's delicious. I used Red Cabbage and red wine vinegar, but follow the recipe to the letter, except with half portions. One difference was that the final stage of waiting for the water to absorb took me twice as long.

yes, but is it a tasty mush?

I made some changes to the recipe and it turned out well.I added 3 cloves of fresh minced garlic to the onion for simmering. I used 2 cans of chickpeas. I removed their shells. I used smoked paprika and added ½ tsp mustard, ½ tsp chipotle powder, ½ tsp coriander, ¼ tsp cumin, ½ tsp oregano. Before serving, I added a couple of dollops of Tofutti brand sour cream. (It’s dairy free, but doesn’t claim to be vegan). Next time, for color, I will add frozen green lima beans)

Made with couscous and it was delicious! Also doubled tomatoes, used a tblspn tomato paste when sautéing the onions w paprika, and used veggie broth instead of water. A few variations but the flavor ended up delicious!!

So satisfying served with sour cream. I did not have dill or sweet paprika but used sherry vinegar, generously, and smoked paprika. With that combination, I bet freekeh would be good, but bulgur was just fine! Easy, fast, yummy, healthy, and vegetarian. What more can you ask for?

Smoked paprika sherry vinegar and dry mustard

Made this several times and love it but have never had fresh dill to hand so will look forward to trying that. I like it warmed in a pan with a runny fried egg cooked shakshuka style, delicious as a breakfast

Added hot Hungarian paprika paste, two vegetable Oxo cubes and used dried beans in the pressure cooker first as I didn't have canned. Partner ate his over leftover mashed potatoes and we both used sour cream. Loved it on a snowy day!

after neither soy sauce or worcestershire could save me from a huge pot of “its bland and i dont like it”, a healthy squirt of gochujang sauce saved the day

We found this dish too bland and added sweet and spicy Thai sauce and cumin for flavor.

This recipe is problematic. The reviewers that say it's bland are 100% right. And I think it has to do with the subjective measure for the cabbage (approximate weight would be great). If your cabbage is bigger than what Martha considers "medium," it's going to be way too much for the measures listed. I had to at least double the spices/herbs to give it any flavor. And it made more like 12 servings! Give us real ingredient measures, NYT. I added feta to serve, but sour cream would also work.

I have been making this recipe for at least two or three years and love it – both for myself and for potluck dinners and picnics. When I didn’t have bulgur wheat, I substituted quinoa, and that made it particularly beloved by people who were looking for gluten-free dishes. I have also substituted red beans when I didn’t have chickpeas. Great recipe as is - and terrific when modified as well.

I made the recipe exactly as written. I thought it was good just as it was. I had a lot of leftovers and as such, ending up playing with it a little in subsequent eatings. Seeing as how it was described as a Greek dish, I added some feta cheese and kalamata olives on one occasion and thought that was particularly tasty.

Made with couscous and it was delicious! Also doubled tomatoes, used a tblspn tomato paste when sautéing the onions w paprika, and used veggie broth instead of water. A few variations but the flavor ended up delicious!!

I so wanted to love this. I love braised cabbage. And for my newly-declared pescatarian 10 year old (do not drive pass chicken transport trucks with kids in the car), I’ll cook 2 mains…But I couldn’t get it right. Maybe it’s because I subbed the bulgar for buckwheat (which has a weird smell IMO) or my cabbage was larger than specified? It took some salt and lemon to truly enjoy this. Not to say it was not edible…. I guess if I were to make again I’d add lemon and additional chickpeas…

I really like this and make it often with a CSA box cabbage. I like the flavour as-is, but tend to add dried herbs (thyme, oregano) at the same time as the paprika, instead of buying dill. Today I replaced the chickpeas with puy lentils - added along with the tomatoes and with 1.5-2 cups extra water at that stage to allow for cooking from dried. If anything I prefer it with the smaller lentils instead of big chickpeas! I also eat it with a dollop of yogurt, and fresh herbs on top if I have them.

Delicious. I didn’t have bulgur so I used farro and thought it provided a great texture. I partially pre-cooked the farro in boiling water while I was doing Steps 1 and 2, to save some time, and then drained and added it to the mix in Step 3 (reducing water a bit in that step since farro was already pretty plump). This was even better the next day straight out of the refrigerator. I keep getting big heads of cabbage in my CSA box so this recipe is destined to become a regular thing.

Loved this recipe but would probably up the sweet/sour dimension next time. This is a very comforting dish

I made this last night as written, and then I doctored it. I added more sherry and some garlic powder because I felt it just needed something. DELICIOUS. I found myself returning to the pot to help myself to pre-dinner spoonfuls which is quite telling. Served this with buttermilk biscuits to appease the rest of the family who are accompanying me (the cook) down a weekday vegetarian journey. Bonus: My cat gave compliments to the recipe by stealthily devouring my kid's leftovers.

For this recipie I always use Spanish sweet smoked paprika (100% umami guaranteed) and turns out delicious and not bland as others have commented. I have also used red wine and sherry vinegar, and couldn't say there is any impact between one or the other. I usually serve this with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Easy and delicious!