Middle Eastern Lamb and Spinach Soup

echo echo's Note:

Versions of this are cooked in many parts of the Mediterranean area--Greece, West Asia and North Africa. Before juicing, I microwave the lemons about 20 seconds to increase the amount of juice. If you prefer, oregano can be substituted for the mint.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1/2 cup yellow split peas
• 1/2 lb ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 6 cups chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 2 lemons, juice of
• salt and pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 4 eggs, beaten

Directions:

1. In a large pan, saute the chopped onion in 2 Tbs oil until golden.
2. Add the turmeric, split peas and 5 cups water; bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Combine the lamb and grated onion. Shape into walnut-sized balls with your hands.
4. Add meatballs to the pan and simmer 10 minutes.
5. Add the spinach, cover and simmer 20 more minutes.
6. Mix rice flour with 1 cup cold water to make a smooth paste. Slowly add the paste to the pan, stirring constantly.
7. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook over low heat 20 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, saute the garlic in 1 Tbsp oil in a small skillet until golden. Stir in mint and remove from heat.
9. Remove the soup from the heat and stir a little bit into the beaten eggs, then stir the eggs back into the soup.
10. Sprinkle the garlic and mint over the top of soup before serving. Serve hot.

Reviews

[Syrinx]

A very interesting soup, which was very soothing on a grey autumn evening. It wasn't the easiest of soups to make, though. This isn't a dish you can ignore while it cooks - you have to be around to do things to it at regular intervals. I found that I had to add more water because the soup got very thick and gloopy - and after the rice flour mixture went in, I had to stir frequently because the soup stuck to the pan. In future, I would season the meatball mixture as well as the soup itself, since the meatballs seemed a little bland. But apart from these minor quibbles with the method, the end-result is very good - healthy, tasty and well worth the effort. I'll make it again.