Syrian Style Lentil And Chard Soup Recipes

FRAGRANT RED LENTIL AND RAINBOW CHARD SOUP

Steps:

• Soak lentils in a bowl with water to cover for 15 minutes.
• Heat olive oil and bouillon in a stockpot over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and curry powder into onion mixture. Cook and stir until onion is tender and browned, adding a few spoonfuls of vegetable broth if needed to prevent burning, about 10 minutes more.
• Drain lentils and stir into onion mixture with remaining broth; bring soup to a boil. Cover stockpot, reduce heat, and simmer until lentils are soft, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Trim chard leaves, stack together, and cut into 3/4-inch strips. Stir chard into soup and cook until softened, about 10 minutes more.

CHARD LENTIL SOUP, LEBANESE-STYLE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Cook lentils in boiling water until beginning to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add chard; continue cooking until wilted, about 5 minutes.
• Add potatoes to the boiling water, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook until the potatoes are completely cooked, about 12 minutes.
• Mix lemon juice, crushed garlic, and salt together in a bowl; add to the pot. Continue to cook at a simmer another 5 minutes. Stir olive oil into the mixture. Increase heat to high and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.

MIDDLE-EASTERN CHARD AND LENTIL SOUP (SYRIA)

Steps:

• Wash and pick over lentils. Place lentils in a saucepan and cover with the stock or 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that surface. Add potato, partially cover and cook for 20 minutes. In a large skillet, slowly brown the onion in the olive oil. Meanwhile, wash, stem, and roughly shred the greens. (You should have about 1 packed quart) Add the cilantro and the garlic to the skillet and saut for a minute or two, then stir in the greens and allow them to wilt, covered. Scrape the contents of the skillet, including the oil, into the saucepan and continue cooking another 20 minutes, or until thick and soupy. Stir in the lemon juice and serve hot, lukewarm, or cool.

SYRIAN-STYLE LENTIL AND CHARD SOUP

Steps:

• Sort and wash the lentils and cook in the water or vegetable broth with the spices and the nutritional yeast, if you choose that option.
• Meanwhile, chop the onions, garlic and chard and saute in the olive oil, briefly, then cover and turn heat to low to steam the chard.
• When the lentils are nearly done, add the chard/onion mixture, cover and simmer until lentils are soft. Adjust the amount of water as needed.
• Add salt to taste.
• With a stick blender or in a food processor blend the soup partially.
• Finish with lemon/lime juice to taste. Do not add the juice until the lentils are completely cooked.