What in the world is freekeh you may ask?
In short it is an ancient superfood that has been a staple part of the diet in the Middle East for centuries.
It is wheat.
Young green wheat harvested and roasted on a fire which burns off the chaff and straw, giving it an earthy, nutty, and slightly burnt flavor.
It’s low in fat, has both fiber, and protein, and goes very well in salads and soups.
You can easily use freekeh to replace bulgur or quinoa bringing a unique flavor to your food.
Chicken broth makes this freekeh soup a very tasty and hearty dish that can also be made using vegetable broth for a vegetarian or vegan version.
I find soups to be an easy way to use up vegetables I have left over.
I usually start by frying garlic, onion and celery in olive oil, and then add whatever other vegetables I have on hand.
I then add broth, chicken, vegetable, whatever I have on hand, or what I made especially for the soup.
Then I bring the soup to a boil and then turn down to a simmer, and cook until all vegetables are cooked.
Often I will then use an immersion blender to blend the vegetables into a smooth soup.
At this point I will add pieces of cooked chicken if I am making a chicken vegetable soup.
But make this process your own.
Use ingredients you like and have on hand and make a unique soup that will help you use up your leftovers.
Often no two soups are the same and that is part of the fun.
Give it a try!
A nice thing to do when you make soup is to make some bread dough to go along with it.
There is nothing quite like fresh bread, and it really is not that hard to make.
And if you are up for a bit of challenge, and a great loaf of bread, then maybe you would be open to making a starter which will definitely give you a ton of flavor in your bread.
I will be be making lots of breads and sharing the recipes so stay tuned.
I’m looking forward to trying lots of different recipes as I search for that perfect loaf of bread.
One of the breads I would like to try is a whole grain loaf using freekeh as one of the whole grains in the bread.
I think it’s so much fun trying new things out. Sometimes new recipes work beautifully and sometimes they don’t. When they don’t go well I learn the most for the next thing I try.
Always try new things, always challenge yourself, and always read lots of cookbooks to see what other people are doing.
I hope that after trying this freekeh soup you will be a freekeh convert and use it on a regular basis in your cooking.
A fresh new approach to your cooking that will have your friends and family thanking you for broadening their horizons, and feeding them something yummy and new.
Freekeh Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onion
- 1 cup Freekeh
- ½ tbsp Seven Spices
- ¼ tsp Cumin
- 4 cups Vegetable Broth
- 2 cups Water
- Salt to taste
