Weekday Vegetarian: Tomato and Bulgur Soup
Photo: Kelly Rossiter/CC BY 2.0
I'm not really a superstitious person, but I hesitate to say that winter is almost over and I have now passed through it without any cold or flu.
If you do find yourself succumbing to some bug, I have the perfect recipe for you. Of course, many people swear by chicken soup, but this tomato and bulgur soup would hit the spot for the vegetarian crowd. Think kid's comfort food. Really, really garlicky kid's comfort food.
Not only that, you can make it with very little effort, so if you are feeling under the weather, it's not a big drain on your energy. Personally, I thought this recipe was crying out for some greens like spinach, or swiss chard, or even the bitterness of rapini.
The addition of some texture would have been nice, but if you are sick, you probably want to leave the recipe as is and have the straight up softness of the soup. Bulgur is a parboiled form of whole wheat with a nutty flavour, and you can get it in any grocery store.
This recipe is from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman, via The Toronto Star.
Tomato & Bulgur Soup
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup (125 mL) white wine
28-oz (796-mL) can tomatoes (whole or diced) with juices
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme
6 cups (1.5L) vegetable broth or water (or mixture)
¾ cup (185 mL) bulgur (preferably medium or fine)
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1. In large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onions soften and turn golden, about 8 minutes.
2. Add wine. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juices and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with wooden spoon, 10 minutes.
3. Add broth or water and bulgur. Raise heat to high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until bulgur is tender, 10 to 20 minutes depending on size. Taste; season with salt and pepper if desired.
Serve garnished with cheese and parsley if desired.
