Caspian Butternut Squash, Bulgur & Wild Orange Soup

Name: Caspian Butternut Squash, Bulgur & Wild Orange Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Servings: 6
Cuisine: Uzbek
Ingredients: ½ cup chives, chopped, or 6 sage leaves; ½ teaspoon cooking rose water (optional); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, butter or ghee; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 cup bulgur rinsed in a fine-mesh colander and soaked in 1 cup milk or almond milk for 40 minutes; ½ cup rice flour* diluted in 2 cups water; 4 cups vegetable stock or water; 1 cup walnuts, ground; 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (4 cups); 1 cup Seville orange juice* or 1 cup orange juice mixed with ¼ cup lime juice; 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced; 1 fresh hot green chili, chopped or ¼ teaspoon cayenne

Preparation info

Servings:
6

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 15

Appears in

Silk Road Cooking

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2000

About

This soup, very popular in the Caspian Sea region, is also popular in Italy, where sage is used to replace the parsley, and Parmesan cheese is used in lieu of bulgur. It is also found throughout Uzbekistan.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, butter or ghee
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1

Europe
Asia
Uzbekistan
Italy
Iran
Mediterranean
Southeast Asia
Soup
Vegetarian

Method

Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot, over medium heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for 10 minutes until translucent. Add the chili, butternut squash and walnuts and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add 4 cups vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Partially cover and simmer over medium