I was tired of the usual cereal soup and today I served this bulgur and vegetable soup inspired by Marco Bianchi.
A healthy recipe with bulgur, nutritious, rich in fiber, with Tropea onions. It is a balanced one-dish meal, ideal for a light dinner, ready in less than 30 minutes.
Bulgur is produced by the processing of whole wheat. It is an ancient food: the Babylonians and Hittites were among the first to use it.
It originates from Anatolia and in Turkish cuisine it is still a widely used ingredient.
Here is how bulgur is prepared: wheat grains are steamed and dried, then milled and reduced into small pieces. Alternatively, bulgur can also be prepared raw: durum wheat grains are simply selected and crushed cold. The more coarsely ground product is thicker and requires, for culinary use, at least 15-20 minutes of boiling.
The raw preparation is recommended to preserve the cereal’s characteristics. However, the nutritional integrity of raw-processed bulgur is lost, or at least greatly reduced, during long boiling.
The size of the bulgur pieces is the key to the preparation. The larger grain is made of pieces measuring 2-4 mm and is usually excellent in brothy soups. The smaller one instead is ideal in cold dishes, such as main dishes and salads. Both are great cooked pilaf, like rice, or in tabbouleh, i.e., spiced and dressed salad.
We understand that we should not confuse bulgur with whole-grain cereals in kernel form; essentially bulgur is a pasta, like spaghetti for example.
Here are a few recipes prepared with bulgur:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
You can make the same recipe with couscous.
- 2 carrots
- 2 Tropea red onions
- 1/2 cup dried cannellini beans (to be boiled (about 1/2 cup, ~3.5 oz))
- 2/3 cup bulgur (about 2/3 cup (≈3.5 oz))
- 1 tbsp homemade vegetable bouillon
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 pinch pepper
Steps
How to cook bulgur in soup
Wash the carrots well, peel them with a vegetable peeler and dice. Peel the onions and slice thinly.
In a pot, add the onions and carrots, then add the cooked cannellini beans (or well-drained and thoroughly rinsed jarred beans) and the bulgur.
Pour in water and the homemade vegetable bouillon (or vegetable broth) until it covers the vegetables and simmer gently for about thirty minutes.
Serve hot with a sprinkle of parsley and a drizzle of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.Serve alongside a slice of whole wheat sourdough bread.
Cut the onions and carrots into pieces and put them in the mixing bowl together with the cooked cannellini and the bulgur.
Add water until it covers the vegetables and 1 teaspoon of homemade bouillon, start the Thermomix at 212°F counterclockwise, speed 1.
Serve hot with a sprinkle of parsley, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some whole wheat croutons.
Daniela’s Tips
Sauté the Tropea onions over very low heat with a drizzle of oil before adding the other vegetables, this way they caramelize a bit.
Bulgur tends to absorb a lot of liquid. If you prepare the soup in advance, keep some hot water or broth aside to thin it before serving.
If you like, you can add pumpkin cubes or replace the cannellini with cooked chickpeas.
I use the bouillon I make with the Thermomix, because that way I reduce the salt content.
Calories and Macronutrient Breakdown
The calorie calculation is approximate and may vary depending on the brand of bulgur used and, above all, the amount of extra virgin olive oil added at the end of cooking (each tablespoon of oil adds about 90 kcal).
Total Calories ~540 kcal – divided into 3 generous plates: 180 kcal per serving divided into:
Carbohydrates: 32g (thanks to bulgur and carrots)
Proteins: 8g (thanks to cannellini and bulgur)
Fiber: 9g (very filling!)
Fat: 1.5g (excluding extra virgin olive oil added raw)
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I substitute the cannellini beans?
Certainly! You can use borlotti beans, chickpeas or lentils. If you use dried legumes, know that you need to cook them in a pressure cooker, as I’ve explained many times.
Is this recipe suitable for people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease?
No, bulgur is made from wheat and contains gluten. For a gluten-free version, replace it with buckwheat or quinoa.
How should it be stored?
In the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
