Daniel made this Libyan soup for us a a few years back. We’ve eaten it many times since, and adapted it too.
Cook 1-2 mins over high heat in a large saucepan:
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1/2 -1 1/2 t ground red pepper
- 1/2 c onion
- 3/4 c tomato paste or the equivalent of fresh cut tomatoes
Add:
- 2-3 c lamb or beef, cubed
- 10 c water
- 1 T tumeric
- 2 t salt
- cut potatoes, carrots (optional)
Bring to a rapid boil, reduce heat, and cook slowly for 1 1/2 hours until tender.
Add:
- 2 1/2 c canned or cooked chickpeas
- 2 bunches parsley or coriander, chopped
Just before serving add:
- 6 T soup pasta (optional)
- handful of raw chopped greens (optional)
Serve with lemon wedges or plain yogurt.
Sometimes when I am lazy, I take my soaked chickpeas and my raw beef and I put them into the pressure-cooker. I pressure cook that ten minutes, then add all the rest of the ingredients without any frying. I pressure cook it a few more minutes and then serve. Other times, I make the soup with the vegetables or pasta and serve it with a salad. The next day when we are having the soup for leftovers, I add the vegetables and pasta to make it a whole new dish!