Kimchi, peanut + bulgur soup
This is one of my favourite soups to make as the cooler months arrive. The kimchi gives this soup incredible depth of flavour and warmth, while the crunchy peanut butter adds subtle crunch and the bulgur brings the heartiness.
Top Tip - the bulgur wheat absorbs the liquid as the soup cooks, so you will end up with quite a thick and hearty soup. Feel free to loosen with a little hot water at the end to make the soup go further, if desired.
hands-on time
20 minutes
45 minutes
total time
4-6 as a main
serves
Ingredients
300g kimchi
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium brown onions, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp gochujang paste
1 tbsp maple syrup
300g medium bulgur wheat
1 litre vegetable stock
1 large handful coriander leaves, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
juice of 2 limes
sea salt, to taste
Method
For the soup, squeeze the kimchi over a medium bowl to release as much liquid as possible. Add cold water to the kimchi juice so the total volume is 1 litre and set aside. Roughly chop the kimchi and place in a separate bowl; set aside. Place the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and celery and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely softened. Add the garlic and ginger, toss through and cook for 2 minutes until starting to turn golden. Add the tomato paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, gochujang and maple syrup and cook for 1 minute, stirring through. Add the chopped kimchi, bulgur wheat, vegetable stock and kimchi water you prepared earlier. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir through the coriander and lime juice, and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Season to taste with extra sea salt, if desired, and serve the soup warm, spooned into bowls and topped with extra fresh coriander.