Herby Bulgur Vegetable Soup
USEFUL TIP: This is an all-weather soup and is just as delicious hot as it is chilled.
RATING
SERVES
4
PREP TIME
15 min
COOK TIME
60 min
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup bulgur wheat
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- Salt and black pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin Greek olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 6 scallions trimmed and finely chopped
- 2 cups finely chopped celery
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced fennel bulb
- 4 large firm, ripe tomatoes, grated, or 2 cups good quality chopped, canned tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- Pinch of sugar
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 strips of lemon zest
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 2 - 4 Tbsp fresh strained lemon juice
Instructions
-
Soak the bulgur wheat in water for 1 hour, to soften. Drain when ready to use.
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While the bulgur is soaking, prepare the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a medium, wide pot over medium heat and cook the scallions, celery, carrot and fennel until soft, stirring gently, for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Add a pinch of sugar, the bay leaves, thyme sprigs and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
-
Add the bulgur. As soon as the mixture simmers, reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and continue simmering for another 10 minutes, for the flavors to meld. If the soup is too thick, add a little more stock or water. Remove the herb sprigs, bay leaves and lemon zest. Five minutes before removing from heat, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, or more, to taste, and stir in the parsley and mint. Serve hot, drizzled generously with more olive oil.
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