Lentil Noodle Soup With Greens Recipe
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A strong contender for "Favorite Cookbook of the Season" is Brooklyn Chef Rawia Bishara's Olives, Lemons & Za'atar: The Best Middle Eastern Home Cooking. Her Bay Ridge restaurant, Tanoreen, has been recognized by critics and media alike as one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in New York. Update your "must-visit" list and make this winter lentil soup from the West Bank.
This hearty Palestinian soup is more commonly prepared by West Bank cooks than by those in Galilee; I learned how to make it from friends I met in Jerusalem. It is a meal in itself and a favorite among vegetarian patrons of Tanoreen. If you don't have one of the greens on hand, just substitute more of the others. Don't skip the squeeze of lemon near the end — it transforms the soup. Serve it with a few olives.
- 3 cups brown lentils
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 medium red or yellow onions or 5 large shallots
- 1 poblano or other chile pepper
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 4 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 stalks celery
- 2 large carrots
- 1 packed cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 packed cups chopped fresh spinach
- 2 packed cups chopped kale
- 2 green or plum tomatoes
- 8 ounces fettuccini
- juice of 2 lemons (1/4 to 1/2 cup)
- Combine the lentils and a pinch of salt in a pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Cover with the lid and boil over high heat for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions or shallots, and chile pepper, if using, and saute until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin, coriander and black pepper and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss in the celery, carrots and cilantro, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spinach, kale, tomatoes, if using, 15 cups of water and remaining 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Pour in the lentils, return the broth to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes more. Add the fettuccini and cook until al dente. Stir in the lemon juice and serve hot.
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