Red Pepper Rice, Bulgur or Freekeh With Saffron and Chile

By Martha Rose Shulman

Red Pepper Rice, Bulgur or Freekeh With Saffron and Chile
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(85)
Notes
Read community notes

This mildly spicy Lenten vegetable rice is prettiest when made with rice, because the saffron will have more of an impact on the color. But I also love it with bulgur, and especially with freekeh, which is very compatible with the peppers, chile and paprika. If you make it with rice, remember that in the traditional Greek dish the rice is very soft, as it is here. If you don’t want the dish to be spicy leave out the chile pepper.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6
  • Generous pinch saffron
  • ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1medium onion, chopped
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 2large red bell peppers (¾ to 1 pound), seeded and cut in very small dice
  • Salt to taste
  • 1small dried red chile, minced or crushed, or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1teaspoon sweet paprika
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 114-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
  • 1cup coarse basmati rice or long grain rice, rinsed several times, or 1 cup coarse bulgur or freekeh
  • 2cups water
  • ¼cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram (more to taste)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

231 calories; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 639 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Rub saffron between your fingers and place in a small ramekin. Cover with 1 tablespoon hot water. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a deep, lidded skillet or a wide, lidded saucepan. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add peppers and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chile, paprika, tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until tomatoes have cooked down and softened a bit.

  3. Step 3

    Add rice, bulgur or freekeh and stir to coat with tomato mixture. Add saffron with its soaking water, water, more salt to taste, parsley and marjoram, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, or until water has been absorbed.

  4. Step 4

    Remove from heat, uncover and place a towel across the top of the pan. Return lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot, with remaining olive oil drizzled over the top.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: The dish will keep well for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan, in a medium oven, or in the microwave.

Ratings

4 out of 5
85 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Elizabeth Patitsas

Also: adding lemon juice at the end, to taste, really improves the recipe.

Rich

I did a "substitute" version---Farro instead of Freekeh and substituting oregano for marjorim and tumeric for saffron. I added 1/2 tsp of sugar (1/4 tsp would work) because the new spice/herb profile was more bitter and less subtle. I like hot/spicy but you could easily cut the dried red pepper to 1/4 tsp if using a spicy type (Penzey's very hot, in my case). The result was delicious and even better the next day, with a fuller melding of flavors. The farro needed 50 min to absorb water.

marthaquest

not low carb

Rich

I did a "substitute" version---Farro instead of Freekeh and substituting oregano for marjorim and tumeric for saffron. I added 1/2 tsp of sugar (1/4 tsp would work) because the new spice/herb profile was more bitter and less subtle. I like hot/spicy but you could easily cut the dried red pepper to 1/4 tsp if using a spicy type (Penzey's very hot, in my case). The result was delicious and even better the next day, with a fuller melding of flavors. The farro needed 50 min to absorb water.

Ruth

Delicious! First time cooking freekeh, and I love its smokey taste. It definitely takes longer to cook than rice, more like 45 minutes or longer. All the flavors of the dish—grain, red pepper, tomato— complemented one another beautifully. I will definitely be making this again!

Bonnie

Big hit. Made with freekah, which I toasted first—not sure if that was necessary. Used frozen chopped peppers for convenience. Was generous with saffron and reduced marjoram, as much as I love it, to 1 1/2 tbs, perfect. I suggest increasing parsley (for visual contrast) and adding toward the end. Per Kris, the towel is easily draped over the pan, and is essential for absorbing moisture from the grain while it keeps warm.

Paul Krygowski

I always have to find Vegetarian meals for my teenage nephews, which trust me is a challenge. This dish hit all the notes for them. Finding fresh Marjoram is a challenge, but being of Polish heritage, Marjoram is the Oregano of Poland, so I've always got plenty of Dried Marjoram on hand. I substituted 1 tablespoon of the dried herb. And finally, I agree with the other commentator on here about a squeeze of fresh citrus. I had a Lime wedge lying around and it really brightened it up.

Kris

Definite keeper! Made this with bulgur and no parsley or marjoram and it was wonderful. It was even better two days later. It was great with and without olive oil and lemon juice at the end. What is the purpose of placing the towel across the top of the pan? I skipped it because I couldn't imagine how to avoid the towel drooping down onto the food.

Es

This was very good. I used freekah (my first time using it) and it does take longer to cook but I loved the texture (similar to bulgur). The saffron was a surprise and works nicely but I could see playing with flavors on this dish depending on what you're serving it with.

Tiger Webb

Made this in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and while it turned out beautifully, the simmering time was closer to 35-40 minutes. Perhaps the suggested cooking time is geared towards a 12-inch pan or equivalent?

Justin

This is NOT a low carb dish.

Sandra

Fantastic recipe... this one has become a real family favorite. Now I've got to get some more freekeh! BYW, I make it with homemade chicken stock to boost the flavor.

Elizabeth Patitsas

Just made this with freekeh -- took 40 mins for the water to absorb rather than 20 mins. (I'm assuming that's the time you need for the rice.)

Elizabeth Patitsas

Also: adding lemon juice at the end, to taste, really improves the recipe.

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