Best Puréed Trahana And Vegetable Soup Recipes

SIMPLE TRAHANA SOUP WITH LEMON AND OLIVE OIL

Simple Trahana Soup With Lemon and Olive Oil image

This is just about the simplest dish to make with trahana, yet I find it incredibly satisfying and refreshing. I like it both hot and cold; it is cooling on a hot summer day and comforting on a cool one (we were in the middle of a bad heat wave when I was testing this week's recipes). The soup is adapted from a recipe in Diane Kochilas's new cookbook: "Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity From the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die." My favorite herb to use with the soup is fresh dill. If you want to add more ingredients, simmer vegetables of your choice in the broth, or add blanched or steamed vegetables to the soup when you serve it. Broccoli would be great, as would peas, beans, or sugar snap peas.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories appetizer, main course

Time 25m

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sour bulgur trahana
8 cups water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice, strained
6 tablespoons crumbled feta
Plain Greek yogurt for garnish (optional)
Chopped fresh herbs for garnish

Steps:

In a medium soup pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add trahana. Stir until coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add water or stock and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until trahana is tender and nutty tasting and the broth slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes if using home-made bulgur trahana (if you use semolina or flour trahana the time will only be 8 to 12 minutes and the mixture will be more like a porridge).
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Spoon into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and a tablespoon of crumbled feta. Garnish with plain yogurt if desired and chopped fresh herbs such as mint, parsley or dill.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 224, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 28 grams, Fat 11 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 887 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram

PURéED TRAHANA AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Puréed Trahana and Vegetable Soup image

Sweet and tart flavors marry in this thick, comforting soup made with leeks, carrots, onion and trahana. I like to blend the soup with an immersion blender, which results in a purée with a fair amount of texture. You can make a smoother, more elegant soup if you use a blender and then strain the purée. Trahana has a rustic flavor that goes well here. If you use semolina or flour trahana the mixture will be considerably thicker, so use less; half as much should be fine.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories appetizer, main course

Time 1h

Yield Serves 6 to 8

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
Salt to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound carrots, diced
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed of all sand and chopped
1 1/2 cups sour bulgur trahana
2 quarts vegetable stock, chicken stock or water
A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each parsley and thyme or oregano
Freshly ground pepper
Additional olive oil and chopped fresh herbs such as dill, parsley or mint, for garnish
Red pepper flakes or cayenne for garnish (optional)

Steps:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, 5 to 8 minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt, garlic, carrots and leeks. Continue to cook, stirring often, until carrots and leeks are beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add remaining olive oil and stir in trahana. Stir until trahana is coated with oil, about 1 minute, and add stock or water and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and trahana has fallen apart in the soup and is tender. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and discard bouquet garni.
For a coarse purée, use an immersion blender to purée the soup. For a finer purée, transfer, in batches, to a blender or a food processor. If using a blender do not put the top on tight; leave out the center of the lid and cover tightly with a towel. Purée until smooth and if desired, strain. Return to the pot, taste and adjust salt. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.
Reheat gently and serve, garnishing each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of herbs. If you want spice, sprinkle with red pepper flakes or a little bit of cayenne.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 181, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 31 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 805 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams