ESSENTIAL: Bulgur And Red Lentil Soup

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Bulgur And Red Lentil Soup

 

Recipe By : The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook by Diana Shaw, page 199

Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Beans And Legumes Grains And Cereals

Soups And Stews Vegetables

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 medium onions -- thinly sliced

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

OR 2 tablespoons crumbled dried dill

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

1 cup uncooked red lentils

1/2 cup bulgur wheat

4 cups water

OR 2 cups water plus 2 cups vegetable

broth

1 cup cooked chickpeas -- drained and rinsed

2 cups torn fresh spinach or beet greens

1 1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt

 

Serves 4-6

 

TOTAL TIME: about 1 hour, 15 minutes, not time to soak the beans or to make

the broth.

TIME TO PREPARE: 40 minutes, including time to saute.

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

REFRIGERATION/FREEZING: refrigerate up to 3 days.

 

We expect Mother Nature to hold herself to higher standards than cut-rate

car dealers, but every once in a while, she pulls a bait and

switch. Consider red lentils. You buy them because they're peachy pink,

thinking " Gee, won't they look pretty on the plate. " You get them home,

toss them on to cook, and the minute they hit the heat, you find you've

been had. They're now the color of mustard and turning rapidly to mush.

 

Red lentils won t decorate your dish, but they will season it. They taste

less like ordinary lentils than like peppery split peas and are

particularly good with the sharp sort of herbs you'll use in this piquant soup.

 

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan. Add the onions cilantro,

dill, and chives, and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring often until the

onions are so soft they're close to melting, about 20 minutes. It's

essential to let the onions sauté long enough to become very sweet.

 

Add the lentils and bulgur and stir to coat them with the herbs, about 1

minute. Add the water and broth, if using, stir well, and bring the soup

to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, lower the heat to medium-low,

and cook until the bulgur and lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Add

the chickpeas and the spinach or beet greens, and stir until the leaves

turn bright green, about 2 minutes.

 

Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool for 10 to I 5 minutes,

stirring it occasionally to help it along. Put the yogurt in a large

mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the hot soup, and stir well. Add another

spoonful, and stir. Continue to transfer the soup into the yogurt,

gradually increasing the amount of soup as you go until you've blended

two-thirds of it with the yogurt. Stir well, and transfer the yogurt

mixture to the rest of the soup in the saucepan. Heat carefully over low

heat, stirring to warm through.

 

PER SERVING (1/4 RECIPE): calories 374, protein 26g, carbohydrate 63g, fat

3.5g, cholesterol 165mg, sodium 103mg, 6% calories from fat. Outstanding

source of folacin. Very good source of vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C, calcium,

iron, good source of vitamin B2.

 

 

 

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