In Honor of Beet Greens

 

To honor the beautiful beet greens I brought home from Cider Mills Farm Friday, I chose to make this delicious rustic soup recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine (Nov. 2011 issue)

Beet greens are like gold to me, so difficult to find fresh, and I wanted to prepare these beauties so their great savory flavor would shine. This simple combination of ingredients is surprisingly rich and delightfully comforting.

Be sure to use a pot that is about 10" wide and not too deep, or you'll be diving after poached eggs.

Beet Green and Bulgar Soup with Poached Eggs
 2     Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
 1     med yellow onion, chopped
 4     cloves of garlic, minced
 2     quarts lower-salt chicken or vegetable broth (if you use salted broth do NOT add salt)
 8     cups lightly packed, stemmed beet green, cut into 1-inch pieces
 3/4  cup whole-grain, quick-cooking bulgur (I used Bob's Red Mill)
        Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
 4     large eggs
1/2  cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, raise the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Stir in the beet greens and bulgur. Cover, cook at a vigorous simmer for about 24 minutes until bulgar and greens are tender.
Adjust the heat as needed to achieve a gentle simmer. Crack one of the eggs into a small bowl and pour it onto the soup near the edge of the pot. Spoon hot broth over the eggs and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft, about 3 minutes.
Carefully ladle the soup and eggs into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano and serve.

Chop washed and dried beet greens into 1-inch pieces

Ahhh....a fitting end to these farm fresh beet greens...a simple but extremely satisfying soup!