Yemeni Bulgur Wheat Soup Recipe

Yemeni Bulgur Wheat Shurba (soup) — Photo: Alex Lau

Total Time:

45 mins

Yield:

4 servings

Shurba usually contains lamb, but Hakim Sulaimani of Yafa Café in Brooklyn makes this vegetarian version, which is rich and satisfying thanks to the savory blend of cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, ground ginger, and bay leaves.

Frequently asked questions

Are you supposed to rinse bulgur?

We like to give our bulgur a good rinse under cool water before cooking to guarantee no dust or debris is hanging around, but washing bulgur is not absolutely necessary.

How do you serve bulgur wheat soup?

Garlic bread is the perfect partner for this Yemeni shurba, and it comes together quickly as the soup simmers on the stove. The finished shurba gets topped with fresh chives, then is served with the toast and lemon wedges to balance the soup's flavors with a bright pop.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Bulgur is made from cracked whole wheat that's been parboiled, dried, and cut into smaller pieces. It's available in a few different sizes; for this recipe, you'll need a cup of #3 coarse bulgur, a large grind that provides the soup with a pleasant, chewy texture. It does require a longer cook time than the finer grinds — about 12 to 15 minutes — but it's still considered a quick-cooking grain thanks to it being parboiled.

Suggested pairing

Try bulgur wheat soup with a light-bodied Alto Adige white: Cantina Terlano Pinot Grigio.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked #3 coarse bulgur
5 cups water
1 small yellow onion, halved, peeled, and root end trimmed
1 small tomato, cored
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled, divided
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 (1 1/2-ounce) sourdough bread slices
Chives, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Place bulgur in a fine wire-mesh strainer; rinse under cold water 30 seconds. Transfer bulgur to a large saucepan; add 5 cups water, onion halves, tomato, and 2 garlic cloves. Bring to a boil over high. Boil, turning onion and tomato occasionally, until onion is translucent and just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
Transfer onion halves, tomato, and the 2 garlic cloves to a blender, leaving bulgur and water in pan. Secure lid on blender and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Process until smooth, about 25 seconds. Return pureed onion mixture to pan with bulgur. Stir in tomato paste, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring and scraping bottom of pan occasionally to prevent sticking, until bulgur is tender, soup thickens, and mixture resembles the consistency of porridge, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove and discard bay leaves. Season soup with additional salt to taste.
While soup cooks, preheat oven to broil with rack about 6 inches from heat. Grate remaining 2 garlic cloves to equal 1 teaspoon. Place grated garlic in a small bowl and stir in melted butter. Brush butter mixture evenly over both sides of bread slices and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil in preheated oven until bread is toasted and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Garnish soup with chives; serve with garlic bread and lemon wedges.

Originally appeared: March 2022