Each spoonful of vegetable freekeh soup is nourishing and comforting. The broth is filled with veggies and spices, while the freekeh wheat adds a lovely nuttiness and texture, creating the perfect combination of flavors.
I’ll never say no to a warming bowl of soup, one of my all-time favorites is made with lentils and it's called shorbet adas, another hearty and comforting soup is this ancient bean and grain soup.
Just like that soup, this one is incredibly hearty and wholesome.
Ingredients Highlight
The complete list of ingredients with measurements, can be found in the full recipe card below.
Freekeh is an ancient wheat grain and is the star of this soup. When cooked, it’s soft yet chewy, with a unique flavor. A medley of nuttiness, smokiness, and earthiness, all wrapped up in a hearty texture with just a hint of sweetness. The roasting process gives it a distinctive smoky aroma. You can find it at some local supermarkets, Middle Eastern grocers, or online here
Brown onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms will add a savory and mildly sweet flavor. Feel free to use your favorite type of mushroom. I prefer shiitake, but when photographing this recipe, I used king mushrooms. Note that the type of mushroom you use may affect the color of your soup.
Bay leaves, cloves, a cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, ground caraway, salt, and cayenne pepper are the aromatics, providing a combination of warming, sweet, and spicy flavors.
The idea for this soup comes from the traditional Lebanese version, which is why I’ve included the warming blend of Lebanese 7 Spice. It's widely used in Lebanese cooking, adding a complex and robust flavor. A homemade blend is easy to make, or you can purchase it online here. Alternatively, you can use allspice.
Optional Ingredient
I like to add shredded young jackfruit. Traditionally, Lebanese freekeh soup is made with chicken. I use jackfruit as a replacement to keep this soup vegan / plant based. It blends well into the soup and is virtually tasteless, but it adds a nice texture and visual appeal.
Storage
Vegetable freekeh soup can be frozen. Allow it to cool down to room temperature before transferring it to an air tight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ star rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.
Recipe
Vegetable Freekeh Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup Freekeh rinsed
- 8 cups Water for soup
- 1 medium Onion roughly chopped
- 1 medium Carrot roughly chopped
- 1 large Celery rib roughly chopped
- 1 cup Mushrooms roughly chopped
- 2 Bay leaves
- 5 Cloves
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 5 Cardamon pods
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon Lebanese 7 spice sub. allspice
- ½ teaspoon Caraway
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 3 cups Water for soaking
- 1 can Young Jackfruit (optional) drained, rinsed and shredded
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the freekeh (whilst the broth simmers).
- In a large pot, add the onions, carrot, celery, mushrooms, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, cayenne pepper, caraway, Lebanese 7 spice, salt and four cups of water. Bring to a boil on high - medium heat, then turn the heat down to low-medium and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.Turn off the heat, and take out the bay leaves, cardamon pods, cloves and cinnamon stick. Use an immersion blender to blend the vegetables into a thick liquid.
- Drain the freekeh and add it to the vegetable liquid, along with the optional jackfruit (see video). Stir them through, add the remaining four cups of water, and adjust the salt as required by doing a taste test. Cover the ingredients and bring to gentle a boil on medium - high heat, then reduce to a low-medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until the freekeh is tender. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
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