Shorabet Freekeh (Roasted Wheat Soup)

This past Fall, my aunt visited us from Palestine and brought all the goodies you would hope for! She brought me a small amount of freekeh, which I have been cherishing for too long now and decided to use. Freekeh, for those who aren't familiar, is a cereal-like green durum wheat that is very popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be used in salads, in place of rice, stuffed in chicken, or in my case, served as a soup. Freekeh is such a flavorful wheat that not many ingredients are required to make this soup delicious. I added some onions, chicken broth, and very light spices to create this warm and extremely hearty soup!

This soup is usually served with Musakhan, an onion and chicken flatbread that's already posted on my blog!

The main importance when cooking this dish is allowing the flavor of the wheat to release into the broth. It must cook for at least an hour for maximum flavor!

Cooking Palestinian food with ingredients directly from there, makes me enjoy it so much more. The flavors are stronger and everything is much fresher from there. When I received this small but precious package from my aunt, I knew I had to make it with another one of my favorite Palestinian dishes. I paired the soup with Musakhan and it was amazing. I love pairing these two dishes together and that's how I grew up eating it!

The wheat is so flavorful naturally that trust me when I say you really don't need to spice this soup too much. All I added was a bit of salt and cumin along with the chicken bullion cube to spice up the soup. Let the freekeh do its magic and enjoy this soup with your family!

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Prep Time: 5 minutes Serves: 4 People

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, and 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

• 1 Yellow Onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup Freekeh

• 6 cups Water

• 1 Chicken Bullion Cube

• 1 tsp. Cumin

• Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onions and saute them for 5-7 minutes.

2. Once they are transparent, add in the freekeh and allow it to toast with the onions for a minute, so the flavors can release.

3. Add in the the water and crush the chicken cube into the pot along with it.

4. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook the soup, covered, for an hour.

5. Once the soup has been cooking for at least an hour, add in the cumin and salt to taste. Stir and allow the contents to sit for another few minutes.

6. Serve with pita bread or musakhan and enjoy!