Freekeh Chowder
Freekeh Chowder is a delicious, creamy, and nutritious soup. I made this version of chowder as an attempt to use Freekeh in more recipes. You can enjoy this low-calorie soup any time of the year. Freekeh is a good alternative to rice and pasta.
Freekeh has a nutty, smoky flavor and a chewy texture. It is full of nutrients and has more fiber than brown rice. It has a low glycemic index and doesn’t affect blood sugar like rice and other grains.
There are two types of freekeh, uncracked and cracked Freekeh. The uncracked, also called whole grain freekeh, will take up to 40 to 50 minutes to cook, but the cracked one will take 20 to 30 minutes.
Many Middle Eastern dishes use freekeh and inspired by that culture, I have created this freekeh soup recipe. If you want to taste more dishes with freekeh, try my Freekeh with Chicken and Freekeh with fish recipe.
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- It tastes out of this world and has a beautiful creamy texture.
- This soup has many vegetables.
- The freekeh will make you full for a longer time and reduce your cravings for carbs.
- Straightforward recipe with simple ingredients.
- It stores well and kids will love it.
FREEKEH CHOWDER INGREDIENTS
Freekeh – You can go for cracked freekeh to cook the soup in less time, or go as per the recipe and use the whole freekeh to have more texture.
Mixed vegetables – Bell pepper, corn, onion, carrot, potatoes, and celery.
Flour – We will use all-purpose flour to thicken the soup.
Olive oil – You can go for other fats like butter, which will add a delicious flavor, but olive oil is better and tastes good in this soup.
Chicken bouillon – I have used the one with less sodium. You can use vegetable bouillon but chicken makes the soup tastes better.
HOW TO MAKE FREEKEH CHOWDER (SOUP)
Step 1
Blend three tablespoons of corn with ¼ cup milk until smooth in a blender.
Step 2
In a pan, add olive oil; when hot, add red pepper, onion, celery, carrot, and potato. Stir the vegetables until the onion is translucent. Add flour and mix well.
Step 3
Add the freekeh and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour the boiling water and add the chicken bouillon.
Step 4
Add the corn and milk mixture when the soup comes to a boil. Let it cook on medium-low heat for 45 -50 minutes.
Step 5
Add the corn and a cup of milk to the soup. Season with black pepper and let it cook for 10 more minutes. Serve your freekeh soup hot.
👩🏽🍳 PRO TIPS
- Before washing the freekeh, go through it and make sure it is clean. Although the companies try to rid the freekeh of all the stones before packaging, you might find tiny small stones in it.
- Wash the freekeh properly, or the soup’s flavor will be affected.
- Read the instructions on the freekeh package; you have to know if you are cooking whole or cracked freekeh since the cooking time will differ.
HOW TO SERVE FREEKEH SOUP
This freekeh soup will taste amazing with freshly made bread like French Olive Bread or Breadsticks.
STORING FREEKEH SOUP (CHOWDER)
Freekeh chowder will keep well refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 days. I do not advise freezing it. The flavor and texture of the soup might change a little.
📣 MORE SOUP RECIPES
Please Review and Rate
If you have tried this Freekeh Chowder recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
Freekeh Chowder
Ingredients
- ¼ cup freekeh whole grain
- ⅓ cup chopped red pepper
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- ⅓ cup chopped carrot
- ¾ cup chopped potato
- 2 tablespoons chopped celery
- ⅓ cup canned corn
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 chicken bouillon low sodium
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Blend three tablespoons of corn with ¼ cup milk until smooth in a blender. Keep aside.
- Add olive oil to a large pot; when hot, add the red pepper, onion, celery, carrot, and potato.
- Sauté the vegetables until the onion is translucent. Add flour and mix well.
- Add the freekeh and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Pour the boiling water and add chicken bouillon.
- When the soup comes to a boil, add the corn-milk mixture.
- Let it cook on medium heat for 45 -50 minutes. (I’ve used whole grain freekeh, but you can use cracked freekeh, which will take 15 -25 minutes to cook). You can also slow-cook the soup by letting it simmer on low heat.
- Add the corn and a cup of milk to the soup. Season with black pepper and let it cook for 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with bread.
Notes
- You can use chicken stock or broth instead of the 4 cups boiling water and omit the chicken bouillon.
- To add protein to this soup, add chunks of cooked chicken.
- I know that many recipes call for soaking the freekeh for half an hour to an hour, but Most of the time I just wash it and then use it in cooking, if you are used to soaking it you can go ahead and do so, but you can cook it without soaking.
I adore freekeh, but never thought of making a soup with them. A great idea, Muna. Your soup bowl looks cool!
I’m trying Freekeh in different recipes, since it’s low in calorie and can keep me full for long time.
I found this soup bowl in a discount market, it looked soooo cute I had to buy it 🙂
This one looks healthy and so delicious! I like your pictures, the soup is so creamy! 🙂
Thanks Maggie, it was yummy 🙂
I’ve never heard of Freekeh! I’ll have to look for it
It is similar to rice when cooked, but thicker.