Trahanosoupa Recipe: Trahana Soup with Homemade Trahana and Feta

Trahana13

Trahana is a type of ancient wheat product or "pasta" that's eaten in Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. There are two types: sweet trahana and sour trahana. Both are made with either semolina, cracked wheat, or flour. The difference between the two is pretty simple:

  • Sweet trahana is made with milk (usually sheeps' or goats' milk)
  • Sour trahana is made with soured milk and/or yoghurt.

Traditionally, trahana was made as a way to preserve milk for the cold winter months. It was made by combining the dairy with the wheat and dried in the sun over several days. This would normally be done in August as that's the hottest summer month in Greece.

Once dried, it can be broken into tiny granules and could be stored for months.

You can find imported Greek trahana in Greek supermarkets and delicatessens however it is super easy to make yourself.

Today's trahanosoupa recipe is made with sour trahana.

Trahanosoupa is simple to make and can be from stove to table in a half hour or less. Serve with some crusty bread and you've got yourself a delicious, heart-warming meal.

Homemade Sour Trahana Recipe

Yield: about 1.5 kg trahana, about 18 servings

Time: 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours (includes 3 to 4 hours unsupervised baking)

Tip for advance preparation: Trahana keeps for a year in jars at room temperature (many Greeks store it in muslin bags).

Ingredients:

3 cups / 18 ounces / 510 grams coarse bulgur wheat

1 cup plain Greek whole-milk yogurt

1 cup whole cow’s milk

1 cup whole goat’s milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Place all of the ingredients in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to prevent bulgur from sticking to the bottom of pan.
Simmer, stirring, until mixture is a dense, just-about-solid mass and very hard to stir, 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment.
Spread bulgur mixture on parchment in an even layer. It should fill the baking sheet and should be about 1/4 inch thick.
Place in oven and bake until completely dry and brittle, 3 to 4 hours. It should only colour slightly. If trahana on the edges of pan begins to brown, remove that portion and return pan to the oven until all of the trahana is completely dry.
Remove from oven and allow to cool, then break up into chunks or granules.
Store in jars in a cool, dry place.

trahana

Trahanosoupa (Trahana Soup with Feta) Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups water

1 cup sour trahana

170g (6 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup milk

salt to taste

trahana

Method:

Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat until lightly browned, keeping a vigilant watch so it doesn't burn

Stir in water, trahana and a pinch of salt

Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until the trahana absorbs a lot of water and becomes soft.

If you feel the trahana sticking to the bottom, carefully scrape the bottom so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add the milk and crumbled feta and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 minutes.

Add more salt to taste.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy.

Trahana trahanansoupa

 

Avgolemono – Traditional Greek Soup

Magiritsa – Traditional Greek Easter Soup

Natalie Martin

Editor

Natalie Martin is editor and journalist at Greek City Times, specialising in writing feature articles and exclusive interviews with Greek personalities and celebrities. Natalie focuses on bringing authentic stories to life and crafting compelling narratives. Her talent for storytelling and compassionate approach to journalism ensure that every article connects with readers around the world.