How to cook sorghum that isn't getting tender in a soup?

Question

I added sorghum to a soup I was making and boiled it all for about 20 minutes longer and it is still not fully cooked. Would putting it in a pressure cooker or slow cooker help it to finish cooking?

Food52-Hotline T. · Answer

Thank you so much for answering this question so thoroughly! Sorghum is such an under appreciated grain and we LOVE to see folks experimenting. Keep up the good work ya'll!

702551 · Answer

Once it reaches boiling and simmers, the liquid (like a water-based soup) is always 212 °F (100 °C) regardless. 70 minutes for sorghum is in the ballpark, it's not like it goes from hard to soft in the sixty seconds between the 59th and 60th minute.

Note that in a slow cooker the sorghum would take 4-5 hours (maybe even longer depending on the device setting).

If you want fast sorghum, presoak and cook in a pressure cooker. I don't own a pressure cooker myself but a judicious web search (using a search engine, one of those things people don't really use anymore) will uncover some guidance on how long sorghum needs in a pressure cooker.

Anyhow I knew it would eventually get there. Hope you enjoy it!

Kristin M. · Answer

Thank you!  I cooked it for about 70 min in the soup but maybe with the other stuff in there it wasn't as hot as it should have been.

702551 · Answer

Just continue cooking it in the same pot, sorghum needs about an hour to soften.

https://www.chefsresource.com/how-to-cook-sorghum/

Both the pressure cooker and slow cooker will get you to the finish line as well.

While it's too late for this batch next time soak the sorghum in advance to reduce the cooking time. Another option would be to parcook the sorghum (maybe 30-40 minutes) and then finish cooking in the soup.

Best of luck.

How to cook sorghum that isn't getting tender in a soup?

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