These days, as the sky gets darker, the wind changes from refreshing to cooling, and a colorful carpet of leaves covers the back yard, the dish I really want to have is a steaming bowl of soup. Split pea, lentil, meat, it really doesn’t matter, as long as it’s a rich, thick soup that warms you up and fills you with pure pleasure.In my childhood home, soup was a necessary opening to every meal. Regardless if it was lunch or dinner, I can hardly remember a meal without soup. Of course, after the soup, the rest of the dishes flowed to the table. Nowadays, after more than a few times that we kept the tradition of soup as an opening dish, we found out that no one really eats the rest of the food, and we prefer soup as a full meal. One of our favorites is lentil soup, sometimes with meat other times without. On days that this is our dinner, the only other dish on our table is a fine chopped vegetable salad, and maybe an olive oiled and za'atar toasted pita bread, which gives added pleasure to the one who is responsible for washing the dishes that day.
Ingredients
1 lb green lentils
½ lb smoked beef diced
1 onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
3 celery stalks diced
2 beef marrow bones
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 TBS lemon juice
1 cup cilantro chopped and more for garnish
10 cups water
Wash the lentils under running water and strain. In a large deep pot heat olive oil. Add onion and fry to golden. Add garlic and fry one more minute. Add bones and smoked beef and fry 2-3 minutes. Add lentils, celery and spices and mix well. Steam for 2-3 minutes over high heat. Add water and bring to boil. Lower heat and cook for an hour. After an hour check to see if lentils are tender. I like them al dente, but if you like your lentils softer cook until they suit your taste. Correct seasoning and add lemon juice and cilantro. Cook for 15 minutes more. Pour into plates, garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy every spoonful.
