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Spiced Tomato Bulgur Soup with Crispy Chickpeas

Spiced Tomato Bulgur Soup
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a hearty, spiced tomato-based soup with vegetables and bulgur, topped with yogurt and crispy chickpeas 

servings: 6-8

Ingredients

Spiced Tomato Bulgur Soup

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 large fennel bulb, cored + thinly sliced
  • 4 carrots, diced
  • 4 celery stalks, diced
  • kosher salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 (28 oz) crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 2 qts chicken (or vegetable) stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • ¾ cup bulgur 
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 ½ cups greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill leaves 

Crispy Chickpeas

  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed + drained + dried
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp roughly chopped rosemary leaves
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. For the soup, heat a large Dutch oven (or heavy-bottomed pot) over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often. Add the fennel. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery. Cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Stir in the garlic, coriander, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds. Allow the spices to toast for a minute or so. 
  3. Stir in the tomato paste until incorporated. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, and rosemary sprigs. Stir to combine and season with a generous pinch of salt. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  4. Meanwhile for the chickpeas, combine the dried chickpeas, olive oil, smoked paprika, rosemary, coriander, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of salt in a small mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Spread the chickpeas into a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
  5. Stir the bulgur into the soup. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Uncover the pot and continue to cook for another 10 minutes until the bulgur is tender. 
  6. Lastly, stir the lemon zest and lemon juice into the soup. Season with salt to taste. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of greek yogurt, the fresh dill, a spoonful of chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, and more freshly cracked black pepper.

Notes

If you want to have leftovers, store the soup in an air-tight container in the fridge. It will continue to thicken as it cools and sits overnight. So, I’d recommend adding a generous splash of water or stock to help loosen it before heating in the microwave or on the stovetop.

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