Assyrian soup is ancient fast food

With the difficulties in Iraq so constantly in the news, I was pleased to discover that there are vibrant established communities from that country in the United States, and one not far from my home. As my husband and I drove around our Los Angeles neighborhood, I saw a banner announcing an Assyrian Food Festival.

Assyria was a place we had heard of as children in history class. We had no idea that there are Assyrians today. Many are of the Eastern Orthodox religion and are descendants of the people who built the Assyrian and Babylonian empires in an area that is now Iraq. After their kingdoms fell, they were scattered around the Middle East and other parts of the world.

We were curious to meet the people and taste their food. At the festival, which took place in the courtyard of an Assyrian church, they celebrated their culture with music and dancing. We met Assyrians from Iran, Iraq and Russia.

For us, the highlight of the festival was the tasty food prepared by the women of the church. Their seasoning styles reflected their origins. We tasted fried meat-filled pastries similar to Russian pirogi. These were made by Assyrians who had come to California from the former Soviet Union. Iranian Assyrians made use of two hallmarks of Iranian cooking: saffron to marinate grilled lamb kebabs and fresh basil sprigs to accompany them.

When we sampled two stuffed grape leaves side by side, we inquired why one was spicy and the other subtly flavored. “It depends who cooked them” was the answer. Iraqi Assyrians like hot chilies in their rice stuffing. Persian Assyrians opt for a delicate mixture, sometimes studded with raisins.

The Assyrians are especially fond of the age-old specialties they consider uniquely theirs. One was a barley-and-meat stew enlivened with a sprinkling of hot melted butter and coarsely crushed coriander. Some serve it for breakfast topped with sugar and cinnamon. I preferred the coriander version.

They made yogurt by the gallon and enthusiastically shared their recipe. An elderly woman baked flatbread before our eyes by slapping dough onto the searing-hot walls of an outdoor tandoori-style oven. She then demonstrated her energy by joining the dancers. Fortunately for my neighborhood, the lively event proved so popular that the organizers plan to make it an annual affair.

I was struck by the versatile uses of yogurt and grain. These time-honored ingredients of the Mideast remain staples on their menus. Their expertise in using these foods is not surprising. Since the seventh century B.C., the Assyrians have been growing wheat and barley and raising cattle, sheep and goats. The milk of all three makes good yogurt.

Both yogurt and grains are used in one of the oldest Assyrian dishes, a peppery pottage of chard and bulgur wheat that’s perfect for today’s busy cooks. We were delighted to sample this soup, and I created a similar version I call creamy green vegetable soup with bulgur wheat and yogurt. Healthful, quick and easy to prepare, this soup owes its creamy texture not to high-fat cream but to yogurt.

When using grains, Assyrians have several tricks for making speedier suppers. They use wheat in several forms, including flour, bulgur and whole berries.

When preparing whole-wheat berries, they use light-colored peeled ones, which cook more rapidly than the unhulled kind. They turn soups, such as a meatball-tomato soup, into entrees by adding barley, wheat berries or, for a quicker alternative, coarse bulgur.

Because bulgur is made from wheat that has been boiled before being cracked and dried, it cooks in a few minutes. It is one of the world’s oldest fast foods.

Assyrian cooks are known in the Middle East for their long history of baking with wheat flour. Even the Turks, who excel in making pastries, credit them with coming up with layered pastries that were the precursors of the region’s illustrious sweet specialty, baklava.

Use a green bell pepper for a mild soup, or a poblano or jalapeno chili for a slightly hotter result. For additional heat, season the finished soup with cayenne pepper. Serve it with pita or another flatbread.

Creamy green vegetable soup with bulgur wheat and yogurt

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

6 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 poblano chili or 3 jalapeno chilies, chopped, or 1 diced green bell pepper

6 scallions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

About 1 pound chard (1 bunch), rinsed and chopped

½ cup chopped Italian parsley or cilantro, or ¼ cup each

2 tablespoons chopped mint, optional

1 can (14.5 ounces) vegetable or chicken broth

½ cup bulgur wheat

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1½ cups plain yogurt, room temperature

1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons cornstarch or flour

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add celery, chili or green pepper, scallion, and garlic; cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes.

Add chard and half of parsley, cilantro or parsley-cilantro mixture, and half of mint.

Cover and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add broth and 1 quart water, and bring to a boil. Add bulgur and a pinch of salt. C

over and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables and bulgur are tender.

Mix yogurt with cornstarch or flour in a bowl until blended. Slowly stir in 2 cups of hot soup. Remove soup from heat, stir in yogurt mixture, and mix well. Return to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until soup is hot but not boiling.

Cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring, until soup thickens. If soup is too thick, slowly stir in ½ cup hot water, or more, if needed, to obtain the consistency you like.

Stir in remaining parsley, cilantro or parsley-cilantro mixture and remaining mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings.

TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES