Bulgur Soup (Bulgur çorbası)
Overview
Bulgur çorbası is a thrifty Anatolian soup made with coarse or fine bulgur, the parboiled cracked wheat found in every Turkish pantry. Onion is fried in oil with tomato and red pepper paste, then bulgur and water or stock are added and simmered until the grains swell and thicken the soup. Cooked chickpeas or lentils are sometimes added for extra body, and dried mint and red pepper flakes give the typical Anatolian aroma. It is filling, inexpensive and quick, and is often made in villages and homes as an everyday soup.
History
Bulgur has been made in Anatolia and the Middle East for thousands of years by boiling, drying and cracking wheat, which makes it easy to store and quick to cook. It appears in pilafs, köfte and many soups. Simple bulgur soups like this one are typical of village cooking in central and eastern Turkey. It is often cooked when there is little else in the pantry, which made it a dependable everyday meal.
Main ingredients
Bulgur, onion, tomato paste, pepper paste, mint, chickpeas. The soup is built on vegetable stock and is usually served hot. Diet: vegan; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~40 min
Ingredients
- 120 g coarse bulgur
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp pepper paste
- 1.2 l water or stock
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)
- dried mint, red pepper flakes
Allergens: Contains: Gluten. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Fry the onion in oil with the pastes.
- Add the bulgur and water and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add chickpeas if using and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Season and finish with dried mint and pepper flakes.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.