If you are new to Eech (also called Itch), it is basically a tomato-y bulgur salad, similar to Tabouleh in some ways, but way less parsley (so hooray for less chopping), and it’s a dish that you can enjoy hot or cold. In my Armenian culture, it is typically enjoying during Lent, when many families give up eating meat. It’s a vegan and vegetarian dish that is oh-so-comforting and oh-so-filling. We would never miss the meat!
My grandma used to fill grape leaves with eech and roll it up. I love filling romaine lettuce leaves with eech, and enjoying it that way. My American husband just fills a gigantic bowl and eats it as-is. However you choose to enjoy your eech, I can tell you that your life will be changed!
The recipe I am going to share with you guys, is my twist on my late Grandma Peris’ recipe. I miss her so much. I remember going to her house after elementary school and running to the kitchen to taste all of her amazing culinary creations – this is one of them.
If you haven’t made an Armenian recipe before, get ready for the ride of your life. Our dishes are filled with so much flavor and so much love. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 large onions, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper, or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups bulgur, uncooked
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium high heat, warm the olive oil.
- Once the pot is warm, add the diced onions.
- Stir/cook until the onion begins to soften, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for about one minute longer.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper (or cayenne/paprika).
- Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cover, and add the water and bulgur, making sure to stir everything well.
- Return the cover, and cook on low heat for 10 more minutes.
- Now you are done!
- Remove the pot from the heat, remove the lid, and give everything a nice stir.
- Mix in the lemon juice, green onions, parsley and mint.
- Taste to adjust the salt and pepper seasonings.
- Enjoy this dish warm, or allow to cool to room temperature, it is up to you!
- Garnish with extra parsley and green onion!
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.
Rate & review
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What others are saying
In the step where you add the water and bulgur, I am assuming the bulgur is uncooked. Do you bring the water to boil before covering and cooking for 10 mins. on low? This looks SO good. I want to try making it 🙂
Hi Nicole! It is so good! I clarified in the instructions!!!
If you wanted to use grated tomatoes instead of canned, how many tomatoes should you use? Thank you!
Hi Suzy! A sings 28 oz can of tomatoes is equivalent to approximately 2 pounds of tomatoes. I hope this helps!
If you been to an Armenian party this was probably one of the salads. So delicious. I love the flavor combination 🍅 🍅 paste, herbs 🌿 so flavorful and a must have for a Summer Barbecue Party. Thank you Nicole for sharing your recipe with us 💕
Yes, it’s perfect for a summer BBQ! Thank you for your review!
Best eech recipe I’ve tried. Some are too lemony or too much parsley. Perfect balance of flavors here. I halved the recipe and still enough for 6 people as a side dish. I used a heaping teaspoon of diced Calabrian chiles instead of cayenne and didn’t have tomato paste so I finely diced olive-oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for that tomato sweetness. Amazing. Thanks for posting this.
Wow! Sandy, I am so honored to hear that! Thank you so much for making it, and for leaving such a kind review!