Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments on my Armchair Travel post last week. They really made my day and I appreciate each and every one of them.
I’d also like to express my appreciation for anyone who is on the front lines of fighting the Coronavirus pandemic, be they healthcare workers, our politicians, supermarket or pharmacy employees, those who are trying to help those who are food compromised during this crisis and on and on. This is tough, and within hours of my saying in last week’s post that I wasn’t quite at the point of cancelling everything, I found that I actually was doing just that. I’ve only cried once in the past week during a brief moment of panic, but my stomach has been in knots a lot and I even woke up once in the middle of the night with the thought, “what if all the people buying the toilet paper were on to something?”. Hopefully, they will have excess to last for the next two years.
So, like all of you, this past week has been an abrupt introduction to our new normal for the time being. Yesterday, the weather was just glorious and having been cooped up for a few days I told my family I was leaving for a mental health walk alone in the magnificent woods we have behind our house. There is nothing quite like communing with nature to regain a bit of perspective. As I was walking along, listening to my favorite channel on Pandora, Mark Knopler, I was reminded (again) of some words my mother once used that feel apropos to the current situation.
We were on a family “hike” and by “hike”, I mean more like a slightly challenging walk because we really didn’t hike as a family. Nonetheless, we were walking in nature, I think in New Hampshire and Mom commanded from the back of the line that we “pace ourselves”. It was something she knew to say from her experience at summer camp, going on weekly climbs in the White Mountains. Well, for some reason we all thought that was hilarious given the terrain we were on and teased her about those words forever.
Pace yourselves. On a serious note, I think this is what we need to remember as we try to get through our days ahead, however many they may be that we are affected by the need to socially distance ourselves from one another.
This past week, I’ve been organizing and cleaning (both related to Coronavirus and otherwise) and this morning, I woke up and it was raining and I temporarily hit a wall. That is until I reached out to a few friends and a few reached out to me and my spirits were lifted. I guess what I’m trying to say is that while we are going to have extremely productive days working from home and getting lots of things done that we might not have normally had time for, there are also going to be days that feel extraordinarily long and tedious. Pace yourself, pace myself. I think the more I say it, the more I will lean into it.
So, how is everyone holding up generally? Most mornings you can find me wearing rubber gloves as I walk through the house with paper towels and bleach solution tending to as many surfaces as possible. I’m trying to stick to some form of daily exercise which has been pretty easy thanks to some tremendous online resources including my friend, Ramsay at On The Mat Yoga here in my town. I also took an Instagram Live ballet class with Tiler Peck, principal dancer of the New York City Ballet that was super fun. I stayed for an hour but clicked her off when she put on her toe shoes. But mostly, I’ve been cooking, reading, cleaning, and doing a few projects, one of which is benefiting the blog today.
It involved my recipe drawer which was a disaster. Most of my recipes are in files according to category. However, a sizable number were just in a pile that were awaiting proper separation. I decided to go through all the files and eliminate any recipes that no longer appealed which it turned out were quite a few. As a result of that effort, which still needs a little fine tuning, I happened upon a recipe for Tomato Bulgur Soup that I got from a library cookbook named Simply Armenian by Barbara Ghazarian.
Here’s why it’s such an awesome recipe for today’s situation. First, in the recipe’s headnotes, Barbara says her husband refers to it as “healing soup” as his father would request it whenever he was feeling a bit under the weather. Is it a home remedy? Perhaps. Second, this is a pantry recipe as good as any with the ingredients being simply chicken broth, tomato paste, olive oil, bulgur wheat (I will give you some substitutions), olive oil and lemon juice. Parsley is nice if you have it, but it’s certainly optional.
I made it a couple of times this week to make the recipe my own. I’ve changed Barbara’s cooking method just a little bit to keep it in one pot and bring out more flavor in the tomato paste. Barbara’s proportions of bulgur to broth made the soup almost like a porridge, thick and delicious. I cut the bulgur back just a bit to make the soup just a bit more brothy. I also didn’t skimp on the onion and added a pinch of red pepper. If you do not have any bulgur wheat in the pantry, never fear. You could add some red lentils, brown or white rice, israeli couscous or even some orzo or other small shaped pasta. This recipe is easy enough that if your adult children need a quick WFH lunch (thanks Lucy!), they can whip this together in no time and get back to the office guest room (that’s where our daughter is set up to WFH). Simple, delicious and worth a try. I also added a handful of spinach to my last batch which I enjoyed.
I’ll leave you with these last few thoughts. It’s important for us to still look for the bright spots. On my walk yesterday, I happened upon these three rocks that someone had strategically placed along the path I was walking. I’m sure some of my local friends know the story behind them, but they were a welcome surprise and I was glad to have been present enough to find them. They made me smile…
A little photo for my bird loving husband, unedited. The color of the sky is another wonder…
And then we have to remember that it is restorative to laugh and there have been countless memes going around that have lightened the mood for sure. Hopefully you have seen a few in your travels.
And here are a few shots of the soup and the recipe will follow. Stay well, everyone until next time…
This recipe is adapted from Simply Armenian by Barbara Ghazarian. Warm and comforting, this soup can be made with mostly pantry staples. See notes for tips and substitutions if you do not have bulgur wheat. The soup will thicken up as it sits, so if you have leftovers you will need to add more broth to bring it back to a soupy consistency.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth, preferably low-sodium
- 1 can tomato paste (6 ounces)
- 3/4 cup fine-grain bulgur (see note)
- 1-1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of Aleppo or other spicy red pepper, optional
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
- Finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a 3 quart pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened and just starting to brown.
- Add the tomato paste and stir with the onions for about a minute until it loosens up and starts to darken just a bit.
- Add the chicken broth and whisk until the tomato paste is fully incorporated. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.
- When broth is boiling, add the bulgur wheat, 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and red pepper if using. Stir, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove cover, add fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust for salt, adding the extra 1/2 teaspoon or more.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with the parsley.
Tips from The Kitchen Scout
Barbara's original recipe called for 1 cup of bulgur which made the soup a bit more like a porridge. You can certainly add more for a thicker soup if you'd like. If you don't have fine bulgur, you can try regular bulgur, red lentils, brown or white rice, or a small shaped pasta like orzo or pastina. Just be sure to adjust for the cooking time on the package. The soup will thicken overnight if there are leftovers so you will need to add more broth or water to bring it back to a desired texture. The second time I made it, I added a little fresh spinach that I had on hand. Enjoy!
Check out these other recipes that are short on ingredients…
Quinoa “Risotto” with Shrimp and Asparagus (swap chicken if you don’t have shrimp)
Roasted Broccoli and Parmesan Soup (make with cauliflower if that’s what you have)
Ok. I made it! I used a combo of bulgur and orzo because I didn’t have enough of either one. The lemon juice adds a nice tang and freshness. Next time, I will add spinach, as you suggested. Both Richard and I liked it. Thank you!
Thanks for your post, and the recipe, Val. I made it yesterday- using a leek instead of an onion, adding one small celery stalk, and the biggest modification: I used farro, which I learned absorbs much less water than bulghur. If anyone wants to use farro, I recommend 1 1/2 cups farro to 6 cups of broth. So glad to have a big pot of soup in my fridge
Thank you Val. Your words are as soothing as your soup promises to be. I’m going to make it today for lunch. Feeding two bored, at-home college students is a full-time job!
I agree with Betsy, you say it so well, Val! Thanks for sharing, and for the yummy recipe. big hugs from afar
Thanks Val -you are totally right about having some good days and bad days. Getting a walk outside seems to help. I think I will heed your Mom’s advice and pace myself. Thanks for the recipe! Sending hugs virtually of course.
This looks delicious! I’m going to make it for lunch today and will add some spinach just as you suggested. Many thanks!!
Thanks Val! You always capture the mood: a bit of anxiety, a little humor, a dose of reality about not always being able to stay super productive, some wisdom from your mom, a whole lot of inspiration from OTM to the rocks and that blue sky and finally, a recipe for the moment. I’ll make that soup for my family in my filled up nest . xo
Thanks, Val! I’m going to make that soup. Looks really good.