Homemade Sour Bulgur Trahana From Ikaria Recipes

Steps:

• Place all of the ingredients in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to prevent bulgur from sticking to the bottom of pan. Simmer, stirring, until mixture is a dense, just-about-solid mass and very hard to stir, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment. Spread bulgur mixture on parchment in an even layer. It should fill the baking sheet and should be about 1/4 inch thick.
• Place in oven and bake until completely dry and brittle, 3 to 4 hours. It should only color slightly. If trahana on the edges of pan begins to brown, remove that portion and return pan to the oven until all of the trahana is completely dry.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool, then break up into chunks or granules (in my experience the trahana falls apart into granules rather than chunks). Store in jars in a cool, dry place.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, 5 to 8 minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt, garlic, carrots and leeks. Continue to cook, stirring often, until carrots and leeks are beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add remaining olive oil and stir in trahana. Stir until trahana is coated with oil, about 1 minute, and add stock or water and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and trahana has fallen apart in the soup and is tender. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and discard bouquet garni.
• For a coarse purée, use an immersion blender to purée the soup. For a finer purée, transfer, in batches, to a blender or a food processor. If using a blender do not put the top on tight; leave out the center of the lid and cover tightly with a towel. Purée until smooth and if desired, strain. Return to the pot, taste and adjust salt. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.
• Reheat gently and serve, garnishing each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of herbs. If you want spice, sprinkle with red pepper flakes or a little bit of cayenne.

Steps:

• In a medium soup pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add trahana. Stir until coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add water or stock and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until trahana is tender and nutty tasting and the broth slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes if using home-made bulgur trahana (if you use semolina or flour trahana the time will only be 8 to 12 minutes and the mixture will be more like a porridge).
• Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Spoon into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and a tablespoon of crumbled feta. Garnish with plain yogurt if desired and chopped fresh herbs such as mint, parsley or dill.