Cracked Wheat and Bacon Soup with Greens

A January like this- 3 weeks of lows in the negative zero range, highs in the teens, then snow, then ice– calls for soup. Not bright, cheery soup. Heavy, hearty, spicy soup. Soup with meat and grains and beans. Like this soup. 

Cracked Wheat Soup with Bacon, Kale and White Beans

• 3 slices thick cut bacon, cut into chunks
• 1 c bulghur wheat 
• 1 c onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 c jicama, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 6-8 c vegetable or chicken stock 
• 1 3/4 c white beans
• 2 c kale, torn into bite size pieces
• Salt
• Pepper

Place onion in food processor and chop fine. Then add carrot, celery and jicama and do the same. I know the jicama seems like an odd ingredient in a soup like this, but it adds a nice crunch. 

Cook bacon on medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot until crisp. Add bulghur wheat and cook until it has darkened from light brown to medium brown. About 3 minutes. Add onion and vegetable mixture to the pan and stir until the veggies start to soften. About 6-8 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and stir to mix. Add stock to pot, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. 

Bring pot to simmer over medium high heat then reduce to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until bulghur is cooked through. Then add beans and kale and stir to mix. Serve.