KosherEye.com
by June Hersh, Reprinted from Recipes Remembered, a Celebration of Survival
When working on Recipes Remembered "my" survivors talked about a very popular German ingredient called gruenkern. It was a staple in their cooking and I wanted to incorporate it into a dish. Gruenkern has an interesting nutty flavor and is a nutritious substitute for rice, pasta or noodles in a soup. It has similar properties to farro, spelt or wheat berries. While this forgotten grain is not easy to find, most German specialty stores, or kosher suppliers can usually order it for you. The addition of turkey meatballs came from my love of Italian wedding soup. How fun it is to scoop up little bites of flavorful meatball with every spoonful of delicious broth.
Ingredients:
For the soup:
1 cup gruenkern, soaked*
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 celery ribs, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 quarts water or chicken broth (if using water, you will need to add a bouillon cube or chicken flavor seasoning packet)
Soup bones, optional
Kosher salt and pepper
For the meatballs (makes about 30):
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large egg
Kosher salt and pepper
1- pound ground turkey
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Directions:
Step One: Soak the gruenkern for 6 to 8 hours or overnight, in cold water, enough to completely cover the kernels.
Step Two: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot, cook and stir the onion, carrots and celery, over medium heat, until they have softened a bit, you'll begin to smell their sweet aroma, about 15 minutes. Pour the broth (or water) into the pot, add the drained gruenkern. Season with salt and pepper. If you have any soup bones, feel free to add them to the pot for extra flavor. Cover and cook over low heat for 1
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