Mideast Minestrone Soup (Shurbat Al-Khudar) |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 45 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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A delicious and hearty soup from Faye Levy's cookbook, Feast From the Mideast: 250 Sun-Drenched Recipes from the Lands of the Bible . Makes 6 first-course or 3 or 4 main-course servings. Ingredients:
1 -2 tablespoon olive oil or 1 -2 tablespoon vegetable oil |
1 onion, chopped |
1 large leeks, split, cleaned and sliced or 1 additional onion |
1/2 cup chopped italian parsley |
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth (or a 14 1/2-ounce can or a mixture of broth and water) or 1 3/4 cups chicken broth (or a 14 1/2-ounce can or a mixture of broth and water) |
1 large carrot, diced |
1 large boiling potato, peeled and diced (optional) |
1 teaspoon ground cumin |
1/4 teaspoon turmeric |
3 -4 small middle eastern pale-green squash (about 1 pound) or 3 -4 small zucchini, diced (about 1 pound) |
4 -5 ounces spinach, turnip greens or 4 -5 ounces other greens, rinsed, large stems removed (kale, chard) or 4 -5 ounces half a 10-ounce bag leaves spinach or 4 -5 ounces other greens, chopped (about 4 cups) |
3 ounces vermicelli, spaghetti (about 1 cup) or 3 ounces extra-fine egg noodles, broken in 3- to 4-inch lengths (about 1 cup) |
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or 1 1/2 cups white beans (or a 15-ounce can, drained) |
salt & freshly ground black pepper |
cayenne pepper |
1 small loaf sourdough bread, sliced |
Directions:
1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion, leek and half of parsley, and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until onion is soft and light golden. Add broth, 1 quart (or 1 L) water, carrot, potato, cumin and turmeric and bring to a boil. If using a potato, add an additional cup of water. Cover and simmer over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
2. Add squash and spinach and bring to a boil. Add pasta and simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables are tender. Stir in remaining parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Serve hot.
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