SaadNews: Wheat and spinach soup is a very delicious and nutritious dish made by combining bulgur wheat and legumes with spinach.
According to SaadNews's culinary service, local foods are considered a type of cultural heritage of the people of each country. Some of these dishes have gradually faded away over time, with modern life and the introduction of new foods altering their preparation methods. If you travel to any part of Iran, you will definitely encounter many delicious and local dishes, some of which you may have never tasted or even heard of. Soup is one of the most popular and traditional dishes in Iran. There are various types of soups, which are prepared in different ways across the country. Soup is a highly favored dish that, due to its nutritious ingredients, is considered a complete meal. With the arrival of autumn and winter, the preparation of soups becomes more common at home, as eating soup in cold weather brings a comforting warmth to the body. Wheat soup is a very nutritious and delicious dish that has a lovely taste and is quite easy to prepare. If you would like to prepare this tasty wheat soup at home, continue reading for the recipe.
Ingredients:
Bulgur wheat: 1 cup
A mixture of chickpeas and kidney beans: 1 slightly less than full cup
Lentils: 1 cup
Chopped spinach: 2 cups
Large onions: 2
Garlic: 5 cloves
Wheat flour: 1 tablespoon
Oil: as needed
Meat stock cubes: 2
Salt, black pepper, and turmeric: as needed
Fried onions: as needed
Fried mint: as needed
Keshk (yogurt): as needed
Preparation: To make this delicious soup, soak the chickpeas and kidney beans for 12 hours, then cook them with some water and salt until they are half cooked. Soak the bulgur wheat for 2 hours. Grate the onions and sauté them with some oil in a suitable pot until soft and golden. Add the grated garlic, turmeric, and black pepper to the fried onions and sauté for another 30 seconds, then add the bulgur wheat, lentils, and half-cooked chickpeas and beans. Add 2 to 3 cups of boiling water and cover the pot, allowing the ingredients to cook and soften. Next, mix the wheat flour with half a cup of cold water and add it to the soup. After 15 minutes, dissolve the meat stock cubes in 1 cup of boiling water and add them with the chopped spinach to the soup. Allow it to cook for about 30 minutes until the spinach is tender and the soup thickens. Now, your tasty wheat soup is ready to serve. Pour it into your desired serving dish and garnish with fried onions, fried mint, and keshk. Enjoy!
Important Tips:
Fried onions give a great flavor to the dish, but the key point is that the onions should be finely chopped and dry. To make crispy fried onions, cut the onions thinly and fry them in plenty of oil that has been preheated. Ensure that the onions float in the oil, so don’t add too many at once. After frying the onions, place them on a wire rack to drain the excess oil and spread them on a tray. When frying more onions, avoid adding them directly on top of the previous batch to prevent them from becoming greasy or mushy.
Spinach is a very nutritious vegetable rich in vitamins and minerals that strengthen the immune system, prevent cancer, improve skin and hair health, and promote strong bones. It’s also an excellent remedy for constipation, especially in middle-aged and elderly individuals. When washing spinach, soak it in warm water for a few minutes to allow any dirt to settle at the bottom. Avoid washing spinach after it’s chopped to preserve its nutrients. Only cook the amount you need, as cooked spinach shouldn’t be stored for long. When buying spinach, choose tender and fresh leaves.
Stock (beef, chicken, fish, or vegetable) is made by simmering bones with vegetables and a few spices. It’s used in soups, sauces, stews, and many other dishes to enhance the flavor. You can either make stock at home or buy it pre-made from supermarkets. Be mindful that stock contains salt, so if you use it, taste your dish before adding extra salt. You can substitute stock cubes with two cups of chicken broth.
