grain-based soups
So many soups, especially in peasant traditions of old, were based on stale bread. In fact, these soup-soaked stale bread soups were called “sops,” a word from which our modern “soup” is derived. Those bread soups and all soups based on wheat, such as those with pasta, as well as those based on other kinds of grains, are found here. This is a chapter with filling and soul-satisfying soups popular with everyone, including several soups you’ve probably never seen and that will undoubtedly enter your repertoire once you’ve tasted them.
bread soup
When I first had an opportunity to go to Albania, it was under the rule of the orthodox Communist ruler Enver Hoxha—and I was unable to visit because I was in a car accident in Greece that abruptly ended my trip short of the border. Since then I’ve always said that I would have been turned back at the border anyway. Albania, even today, is the least known Mediterranean nation. It is a poor country, mostly mountainous and hilly, but with a few small coastal plains. Wheat is one of its major agricultural products, so the bread soup called buke mevaj me kripe would not be unexpected at the table of Albanian peasants on a winter’s night. Some cooks might use yogurt instead of sour cream, but in either case it is a rib-sticking meal. This recipe is adapted from Inge Kramarz’s Balkan Cookbook. [ Makes 4 servings ]
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon hot paprika
1 potato (about 1⁄2 pound), peeled and grated
1 quart beef broth
4 to 6 ounces croûtons
1⁄2 cup sour cream or plain whole yogurt
In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the paprika, then add the grated potato and broth. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potato is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the croûtons to the soup, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat off. Whisk in the sour cream or yogurt, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and serve.
le mourtaïrol
Le mourtaïrol is an oven-baked chicken broth and bread soup seasoned with saffron that is one of the oldest dishes in European cuisine. The name indicates how the dish was originally prepared: in a mortar, each ingredient pounded to the desired consistency. There are recipes for this preparation—with this name more or less—in two anonymous fourteenth-century European cookery manuscripts, the Italian Liber de coquina and the Catalan Libre de Sent Soví. There is an old recipe that appears in the late fourteenth-century French cookery work Le ménagier de Paris as well as in the fourteenth-century English compilation of the master chefs of King Richard II known as the Forme of Cury, where it appears as “mortrews of Fyssh.” In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales it is a “mortreux.” Perhaps this broth is originally related to the tenth-century Arab lubābiyya, a preparation made with unleavened bread crumbs, saffron, pistachios, and rose water. Even with all this history, it’s just a peasant soup and a perfect use of stale bread. A rich homemade chicken broth is required for this soup to stand out. [ Makes 4 to 6 servings ]
1 pound stale French or Italian country bread
Pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
2 quarts chicken broth
1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
2. Break up the stale bread in a high-sided baking casserole. Add the saffron to the chicken broth and stir. Pour half the chicken broth over the bread. Keep the casserole in the oven for 30 minutes or until it is as hot as you like your soup, moistening with additional chicken broth every once in a while until the broth is used up.
portuguese bread and purslane soup
Bread is the foundation of many Portuguese soups. Typically, the bread used is homemade. This soup from Alentejo, called sopa de beldroegas com queijinhos e ovos, is also based on bread, which is natural enough since the area is considered the granary of Portugal. (Interestingly, Alentejo is also the source of half of the world’s cork.)
You will want to use small, three-inch-diameter rounds of fresh sheep’s cheese or any small cylindrical sheep’s or goat’s milk cheese to place on top of the soup at the end of its cooking. The name of this cheese is also Alentejo; it is a very soft, cylindrical cheese made in three sizes weighing about two ounces, one pound, and four pounds. The smallest ones, the ones used in this soup, are usually made from both sheep’s and goat’s milk. You are unlikely to find this cheese in a store, although you can order Portuguese cheeses from www.igourmet.com. In its place you might find a Miticrema. It is a soft fresh sheep’s milk cheese from Spain that comes in a jar; it can be purchased at Whole Foods Markets. And in a pinch you can use a one-inch-thick slice of any soft cylindrical goat cheese sold in most supermarkets.
Purslane is a succulent vegetable with fleshy leaves usually used in soups and salads. When you sauté it in this recipe you may hear some of the leaves pop. Purslane is usually available at farmers markets and some gourmet greengrocers. If purslane is impossible to get, try making the soup with escarole. My recipe is adapted from Maria de Lourdes Modesto’s Traditional Portuguese Cooking (1982). The Portuguese will pour the broth over the bread and eat the potatoes, eggs, cheese, and purslane from a side dish, but I like it as one big soup, almost like a minestrone. [ Makes 6 servings ]
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 large bunches purslane (about 11⁄2 pounds), leaves only, washed well
2 quarts water
4 boiling potatoes (such as Yukon Gold, about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices
1 bulb garlic, outer white skin rubbed off, but cloves left attached
1 tablespoon salt
6 large eggs
1⁄4 pound fresh or soft sheep’s or goat’s milk cheese
6 slices hard-crust country bread
1. In a large flame-proof casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the purslane leaves and cook, tossing and stirring, until well blended. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat, then add the potatoes, garlic bulb, and salt, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Carefully break the eggs into the broth so the yolks don’t break and leave them to poach, without stirring or stirring very gently, until the whites solidify but the yolks are soft, about 5 minutes. Add 6 soupspoonfuls of the cheese, placing them in separate areas of the casserole so they don’t touch each other. Place the bread in individual soup bowls and ladle the soup over the bread, giving each diner an egg and a piece of cheese.
pappa al pomodoro
the secret to this classic tomato and bread soup from Florence is using the ripest garden tomatoes and good-quality artisanal bread. You cannot use supermarket tomatoes or sourdough bread. There are different versions of this soup, but the ones with lots of garlic are not typical in Florence, as Tuscans aren’t as garlic crazy as, for example, Neapolitans. The ginger might just be a vestige of medieval spice use, because it is quite uncommon in the contemporary Tuscan pantry. The soup is usually eaten warm, with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. [ Makes 4 servings ]
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more to drizzle
1 small leek, white part only, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Pinch of ground ginger
1 pound very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
3 cups chicken or light vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1⁄2 pound rustic Italian or French bread, without crust, ripped into small pieces
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the leek, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and increase the heat to high. Once it starts to sputter, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Add the broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil again over high heat. Add the bread and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Stir, reheat a bit, and serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with extra olive oil to drizzle on top and some Parmesan cheese.
hasū
Bread bakers set aside a portion of yeasted dough to act as a starter for the next batch of bread. This starter is called a sponge, poolish, levain de boulanger in French, and biga in Italian. In this medieval recipe of the Jews of North Africa, it is the foundation for a soup. The ethnologist Joëlle Bahloul tells us that this soup, called hasū, although eaten by the population at large, was especially associated with the Jews of Ain Beida on the eastern Algerian steppe, who often ate it in place of coffee on winter mornings when it was very cold or snowing.
Hasū is rare, unknown to outsiders, and nearly forgotten among Jews of North African extraction themselves, except for the elderly. It is a kind of piquant velouté, a soup made from semolina bread starter and spicy with harīsa, chile, and caraway. Some of the starter is mixed with ground coriander seeds and spoon-dropped into hot olive oil. These tiny fried beignets are used as a garnish. They are a little larger than hazelnuts and are called thumniyya, or they are made as one makes the little pasta balls, like couscous, called muhammas.
There is a long history to hasū, as we know from the descriptions left by the great twelfth-century Arab geographer al-Idrisi, who seems to indicate that hasū means very soft boiled eggs that are almost liquid. It’s possible that eggs were once a prominent part of the dish—or that the dish should resemble thickly beaten eggs. Hasū also derives from the word for “to sip,” so we know that it refers to a soup. There is a recipe for hasū (or hasa) in the thirteenth-century Hispano-Muslim cookbook probably written in the Spanish province of Murcia by Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī and called the Kitāb fadālat al-khiwān fī tayyibāt al-tcam wa’l-alwān, which translates roughly as “The excellent table composed of the best foods and the best dishes.” But in that recipe there is no egg. Even though this soup has many steps and is complex, the result is very much worth the effort. [ Makes 6 servings ]
1⁄4 teaspoon active dry yeast
8 1⁄2 cups water
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
11⁄2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves
11⁄2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon harīsa
11⁄2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons salt
1⁄4 cup dried mint
1. The day before you plan to serve the soup, in the bowl of an electric mixer, add the yeast, pour in 1⁄4 cup warm water (about 105ºF) and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in 3⁄4 cup water and then the flour, 1 cup at a time. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can do this step in a bowl, and then use a food processor in Step 2.
2. Attach the paddle attachment to the mixer and run at the lowest speed for 2 minutes. (In a food processor, run until a sticky dough is formed in a few seconds.)
3. Transfer this starter dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 24 hours. The starter will triple in volume and still be wet and sticky when ready. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. You will need 200 grams, about 7 ounces or 3⁄4 cup, of starter for this recipe. The remainder you can save for bread baking.
4. In a bowl, knead together 3 ounces (about 1⁄4 cup) of the starter with the ground coriander.
5. In a skillet, heat 1⁄4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat, then drop hazelnut-size spoonfuls of starter into the oil and cook until light golden, about 2 minutes. Remove with a skimmer and set aside.
6. To make the soup, in a mortar, pound the garlic and caraway together with a pestle until crushed. Add the tomato paste, harīsa, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt and continue pounding and crushing until mushy.
7. In a pot, heat 3⁄4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the garlic-tomato mixture and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the 1 cup of warm water, let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, dissolve the remaining 4 ounces (about 6 to 8 tablespoons) starter in 1⁄2 cup of water until homogenous and smooth. Stir into the soup. Add the remaining 6 cups of warm water and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well and cook for 20 minutes.
9. Place the dried mint in a spice grinder, food processor, or mortar and blend until very fine, almost a powder. Stir into the soup, correct the seasoning, and serve.
semolina ball soup
This stunning soup from Tunisia is made with a large couscous ball called sidir, which you won’t be able to find, although you could make your own. In its place it’s perfectly fine to use the very typical North African–style ball of semolina known as muhammas in Tunisia and burkukis in Algeria. It’s often described as a large couscous, and one Israeli firm markets it as “Israeli couscous,” which it is not. It is sold in Middle Eastern markets and through various Internet sites with the label “toasted pasta ball,” mougrabieh, or moghrabiye, the last two names being, curiously, what they call these in Syria—far from the home of couscous. In fact, the meaning of the two words is “from the Maghrib,” that is, North Africa. This recipe is based on the one served to me by Hechmi Hammami, the executive chef of the Abou Nawas Hotel in Tunis, who used qadīd, a spiced lamb jerky, for his flavoring. Although it is a hot soup, one can also say it’s intriguingly delicate. [ Makes 4 servings ]
1⁄2 teaspoon caraway seeds
5 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup water
1 tablespoon harīsa
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups water
1⁄4 pound (about 1⁄2 cup) toasted pasta balls (sometimes sold as “Israeli couscous”)
1 Preserved Lemon, cut into small dice without the peel
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
1. Grind the caraway seeds in a mortar, then pound in the garlic and salt until the mixture forms a paste.
2. In a large nonreactive casserole or pot, heat the olive oil over high heat, then add the garlic-caraway paste, tomato paste dissolved in water, harīsa, and black pepper. It will sizzle violently for a second, so remember to keep your face away. Reduce the heat to medium, stir well to mix, cover, and cook, stirring a few times, for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the water, pasta balls, preserved lemon, and capers and simmer, uncovered, until the pasta balls are soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle on the mint, if using, and serve immediately.
vermicelli and turmeric soup
Vermicelli means “little worms” in Italian, and in Tunisia vermicelli pasta is called duwayda, which means “inchworm” in Arabic. In this spicy hot preparation called duwayda zarrā, which means “farmer-style vermicelli,” the pasta is indeed broken into one-inch inchworm lengths. This soup is a typical midday winter lunch dish in rural Tunisia. We have a record of this form of macaroni in North Africa appearing as early as the time of the Hafsids (1228–1574), the most important dynasty in late medieval Tunisia. [ Makes 4 servings ]
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup water
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery leaves with a little stalk
1 tablespoon hot paprika
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 bay leaves
Salt to taste
5 cups water
6 to 8 ounces vermicelli or spaghetti, broken into 1-inch lengths
1. In a large flame-proof casserole, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste dissolved in water, along with the celery leaves and stalks, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, black pepper, bay leaves, and salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the water and the vermicelli to the casserole and cook over medium heat until the pasta is soft, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.
korean chicken and rice soup
In Korean cooking, the difference between a kuk and a chigae is that a kuk is made with more water, so it’s properly a soup, while a chigae is more like a stew. A kuk is also milder in taste, while a chigae is more boldly flavored. Another word for soup in Korean is t’ang, which is the Chinese word of the same meaning. This wonderfully simple soup is perfect in the winter. If you have a little leftover chicken breast, that makes it even easier. But if you don’t, just poach the chicken breast in some water for 15 to 20 minutes, then let it cool and shred it with two forks. The Korean chile paste, known as koch’ujang, can be ordered though www.kgrocer.com or www.ikoreaplaza.com if you don’t happen to have a Korean market in your neighborhood. [ Makes 6 servings ]
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
8 cups chicken broth
21⁄2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
21⁄2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1⁄2 cup short grain rice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Korean chile paste (koch’ujang)
1⁄4 pound shredded cooked chicken breast
2 scallions, finely chopped
1. In a small cast-iron skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium-high heat without any fat, shaking the skillet often until the seeds are lightly browned, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a large pot, add the chicken broth, garlic, and ginger and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the chile paste and stir to blend. Add the shredded chicken and as soon as it is heated, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the scallions and reserved sesame seeds.
old-fashioned chicken noodle soup
Chicken noodle is surely the quintessential American soup. The Campbell’s Soup Company certainly thought so and put it into a can back in 1934. For several generations now Americans have eaten the canned soup, thinking it’s just fine. But this old-fashioned recipe is the proper chicken noodle soup. It is, as I like to say, chicken noodle soup circa 1933.
In fact, chicken noodle soup is one of the earliest soups for which we have a written record in any language. It is first recorded in the tenth-century Arabic cookbook Kitāb al-tabīkh (Book of cookery) by Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq, in which a recipe called nibātiyya is a chicken broth with vermicelli. Of course, this tenth-century recipe is a far cry from my recipe here, as it consisted of a chicken broth cooked with chickpeas and onion and seasoned with a paste made of coriander, pepper, cassia, galangal, spikenard, cloves, nutmeg, long pepper, and ginger and finished with rose water, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. In a fourteenth-century Italian cookery book called Libro della cocina (Book of cookery), by an anonymous Tuscan, a chicken noodle soup is called de le lasagne. There lasagne noodles are cooked in chicken broth and served with grated cheese.
My chicken noodle soup recipe is true slow food and is not concerned with quick cooking. As far away from a can as you can get, it’s about magnificent tastes coaxed from simple ingredients—and it’s all homemade. I believe you’ll be startled at the difference in taste from the canned version. You can, off course, use commercial bouillon cubes and a package of egg noodles, but if you do, then why bother reading this recipe—why not just use a can? I hope you give this a try, as it’s truly worth the effort. [ Makes 6 servings ]
For the noodles
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
For the soup
2 chicken breast halves (about 11⁄2 pounds), on the bone
1 pound chicken parts (preferably a roasted carcass, or wings, feet, legs)
2 carrots, peeled and diced very small
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
10 cups water
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
1. To prepare the noodles: in a bowl, pour the flour and make a well like a volcano crater in the center. Crack the egg into the well, add the egg yolk, season with the salt, and form into a ball, using the addition of water or egg white from your wet hands only, if necessary, to make it form. Once the ball of dough is formed, move it onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead until you have a smooth, pliable ball, about 8 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.
2. Flatten the ball of dough and cut it into two. Roll each half thinner with a rolling pin. Roll the dough through a pasta rolling machine until about 1 millimeter thick. Roll again through the fettuccine cutter if you have one and cut it off into 3-inch-long segments. If you don’t have a cutter attachment, cut the pasta with a knife into 3 × ⅜-inch strips. Arrange the fresh pasta on a table to rest and dry for 4 hours. Store the pasta until needed or continue with the preparation. (If you don’t have a pasta rolling machine, cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll thin on a floured surface with a rolling pin.)
3. To prepare the soup: in a large pot, place the chicken breasts, chicken parts, half of the diced carrots and celery, both garlic cloves, 4 tablespoons of the parsley, and 1 tablespoon of the basil and cover with the water. Bring to just below a boil over medium heat, making sure the water never bubbles but only shimmers on top, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken from the broth and let cool. Remove and discard the bones and skin and shred the breast flesh with your fingers. Set the chicken meat aside. Strain the broth through a cheesecloth-lined strainer and then return it to the pot. Any meat from the chicken carcass or parts not used in this recipe can be saved for another purpose.
5. Add the remaining carrots, celery, parsley, and basil to the broth, bring to a boil over high heat, season with salt and pepper, and add the noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the reserved shredded chicken breast. Simmer until the chicken is hot, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.
chicken soup with matzo balls
Chicken soup with matzo balls is considered by American Jews to be the quintessential Jewish soup. Although traditional for Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt, and Purim, the celebration of the deliverance of the Persian Jews from massacre by Haman, as told in the Book of Esther, it is in fact enjoyed at any time. It was originally a soup of the Central and Eastern European Jews sometimes called the Ashkenazi. The chicken Passover soup eaten by Sephardic Jews, those of the Middle East and the Mediterranean, would be unrecognizable to Ashkenazic Jews, as it is gastronomically unrelated. In American Jewish tradition chicken soup is sometimes called the Jewish penicillin in recognition of the fact that it acts as a mother’s cure-all for everything from nasal congestion to broken hearts.
As with all home-based soups, there are many different recipes and many different “secrets.” I subscribe to several of these secrets. For instance, using chicken feet is almost required, but since they cannot always be found, using a beef bone or turkey wing will help, as will adding parsnip and/or parsley root, all of which improves the broth immeasurably. Making sure the broth never comes to a boil and removing the layer of fat that forms when it cools insures a nice clear broth that is not cloudy. (Of course, this is an open secret, and true for any broth.)
The one tricky part is making and cooking the matzo balls—knaidlach in Yiddish. Use a light hand when mixing and treat the matzo balls like the delicate dumplings they are; let them cook without disturbing them and keep them covered at all times while they cook. Some cooks make stuffed dumplings called kreplach, made from matzo meal, semolina, or wholemeal flour and stuffed with meat and chicken fat. Matzo meal can be bought, but I simply crush a box of matzo until it looks like dry rolled oatmeal. I usually make this soup over a period of two days—the broth the first day, refrigerating it overnight so a layer of fat forms, and the soup the second day. [ Makes 8 servings ]
For the broth
One 4-pound chicken, wrapped in cheesecloth and tied off with kitchen twine
1 pound chicken feet or 1 turkey wing
1 pound beef soup bones with a little meat on them, split if possible
One 4-inch-long beef marrow bone
3 bouquets garni, each tied in cheesecloth and kitchen twine, and consisting of:
1) 2 small halved onions; 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces; and 1 garlic clove
2) 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces; 1⁄2 celery root (celeriac) or parsley root, peeled and cubed small; and 1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
3) 6 sprigs fresh parsley, 6 sprigs dill, 6 peppercorns, and 1 whole nutmeg
6 quarts water
For the matzo balls
4 large eggs, separated
1⁄2 pound matzo meal
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
5 tablespoons rendered chicken fat (see Note)
2 tablespoons seltzer (club soda) or more if needed
For serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1. In a large stockpot, place the chicken, chicken feet, beef bones, and the 3 bouquets garni and cover with the water. Bring to a near boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 3 hours.
2. Remove the chicken and when it is cool enough to handle, remove the cheesecloth and bone the chicken, discarding the cheesecloth, bones, skin, fat, and cartilage.
Shred both chicken breast halves with your fingers and set the meat aside; the meat should be very tender and shred easily. Reserve the remaining chicken for another purpose. Discard the chicken feet and beef bones, but remove the marrow from the marrow bone and set aside with the shredded chicken meat. Discard the bouquet garni with the parsley and dill. Unwrap the carrot bouquet and dice some carrots, parsnip, and parsley or celery root to equal 2 cups. Discard the remaining vegetables. Strain the chicken broth through a fine mesh strainer, then refrigerate until a layer of fat forms on top. Remove the fat and save it, as you will need it to make the matzo balls. Set aside 3 quarts chicken broth for this soup and freeze the remainder for another purpose.
3. Prepare the matzo balls about 3 hours before you wish to serve the soup. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the matzo meal, salt, and pepper and mix well. Mix in the reserved chicken fat, seltzer, and egg yolks. Fold in the egg whites and form into a loose dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours so the dough can stiffen and the matzo can absorb the fat.
4. About 1 hour before you want to serve the soup, remove the matzo meal dough from the refrigerator and form into balls no bigger than 1 inch in diameter. You should have about 40 matzo balls. In a heavy soup pot with a heavy lid, bring the reserved chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, gently place the matzo balls in the soup, cover, and simmer undisturbed, without any stirring or lifting of the lid, until firm and cooked through, about 35 minutes. It is important that the pot stay covered the whole time the matzo balls are cooking. About 7 minutes before the matzo balls are cooked and the soup is ready, add the shredded chicken breast and diced reserved vegetables and let them get hot in the soup. Serve hot garnished with parsley if desired.
najwa’s freekeh soup
Freekeh is the colloquial Palestinian expression for what’s known in classical Arabic as farīk, a product made with the grains of immature durum wheat, otherwise known as green wheat. This is an earthy tasting soup, called shūrbat al-farīk, made regularly for me and our kids by my former wife Najwa. We all think of it as comfort food, especially Najwa, who grew up on this soup. (Come to think of it, so did my kids.) Najwa is an excellent soupmaker, and you’ll want to try her lentil soup too. Although Najwa uses Crisco to fry the chicken, admitting that it isn’t as healthy as oil, I used vegetable oil and was completely satisfied. The green wheat, or freekeh, can be purchased online at www.surfasonline.com/products/33999.cfm. You can read more about green wheat. [ Makes 5 servings ]
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
13⁄4 pounds chicken thigh and legs on the bone with their skin
1 very large onion, thinly sliced
2 quarts water
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cardamom pods
1 tablespoon bahārāt
3 teaspoons salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 pound (1 cup) freekeh (green wheat) or coarse bulgur #4, picked over for stones and chaff and rinsed well
Juice from 1⁄2 lemon
1. In a large flame-proof casserole, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat, then add the chicken and sliced onion and cook, turning the chicken and stirring the onion, until the chicken is golden brown on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Cover the chicken with the water and add the cinnamon stick, whole cardamom pods, bahārāt, salt, and pepper. Bring to a near boil over high heat, making sure the water never actually reaches a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer until the chicken is falling off the bones, about 2 hours. The surface of the broth should only be shimmering, never bubbling, otherwise the chicken will toughen. Skim the surface of foam as it appears.
3. Remove the chicken from the broth and when it is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones. Pull the meat off the bones and shred thinner with your fingers. Set the meat aside. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.
4. Increase the heat for the broth to medium, then return the chicken meat to the broth along with the freekeh or bulgur. Cook until the freekeh or bulgur is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and serve hot.
tharıd
I first published this recipe in my book A Mediterranean Feast, but I would like to also offer it here because this particular version is a Tunisian soup and, besides being delicious, it has an interesting history. The references in all the classical lexica describe tharīd as a kind of bread soup or a large earthenware bowl. It has been described as one of the Prophet Muhammad’s favorite dishes, in reference to his saying that his wife Aishah held a place among women that tharīd held among food. Tharīd was a food of the Quraysh tribe of the Arabian Peninsula in pre-Islamic times and, in what might be an apocryphal story, Hāshim, Muhammad’s great-grandfather, on a visit to Syria, cooked this dish, which was unknown to non-Arabs, for the Byzantine emperor, who liked it so much that he was persuaded to grant the Quraysh mercantile privileges. Al-Muqaddasī, the famed Arab traveler who was born in Jerusalem in ad 947, says that he ate tharīd(a) with the monks, probably meaning the Chaldean monks of Iraq, so the word may originally be Aramaic, Syriac, or Chaldean. The dried rose petals needed in this Tunisian tharīd can be ordered online through www.adrianascaravan.com. [ Makes 8 servings ]
1 young chicken, quartered or 2 Cornish hens (about 31⁄2 pounds total)
21⁄2 quarts water
1⁄4 cup canned chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons clarified butter or butter
Bouquet garni, tied with kitchen twine, consisting of 1 celery stalk and 5 sprigs fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground dried rose petals (optional)
2 large eggs
Juice from 1 lemon
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
About 1⁄2 loaf day-old French baguette, cut into small cubes
1. Put the chicken, water, chickpeas, clarified butter, bouquet garni, salt, and pepper in a large pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, with the water only shimmering on the surface, for 1 hour.
2. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Remove the chicken from the pot. When it is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bones. Lightly sprinkle the chicken meat with the cinnamon, rose petals, if using, 1⁄2 teaspoon of black pepper, and salt to taste and set aside. Discard the bones and skin.
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl with one-quarter of the lemon juice. Whisk a few tablespoons of hot soup into the beaten eggs to warm them. Transfer the beaten eggs back to the soup, whisking quickly so they don’t curdle. Keep the soup warm over very low heat.
4. In a large skillet or flame-proof casserole, heat 1⁄4 cup of the olive oil over high heat, then add the chicken meat with the remaining lemon juice and cook, turning to brown all sides, for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter as the pieces finish cooking. Add the remaining 1⁄4 cup of olive oil to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the bread cubes in the olive oil and leftover juices until lightly golden on all sides, 3 or 4 minutes.
5. Place the cubes at the bottom of serving bowls and ladle the soup on top. Serve the chicken on the side or with the soup.
algerian green wheat soup with meatballs
Algerian soups have remained rather unchanged since medieval times, with the exception of the use of New World foods such as the tomato and chiles. Soup is served in every home on a regular basis. There are different names for soups. In the eastern portion of Algeria they are usually called jāry, while in the center they are known by the more common Arabic word, shūrba, and in the west there are a variety of harīra, a name more often associated with the famous soup of the same name made in Morocco during Ramadan. During the month of Ramadan, the daily fast is often broken at sunset in Morocco and neighboring Algeria with one of these three soups. This soup, called shūrbat al-farīk, contains green wheat, a hard wheat product made by threshing the grains when they are young, and smoldering them over open fires. The grain is then sun-dried until parched. Green wheat is sold in Middle Eastern markets under the name green wheat, fireek, freeky, freek, freeka, freekeh, fareek, or frikeh. The cooking time of green wheat may vary because of its age, so allow extra time, and add water to the broth to keep it soupy. The Palestinian green wheat soup is quite different.
Green wheat or freekeh can also be purchased online at www.surfasonline.com/products/33999.cfm. You can read more about green wheat. Because freekeh can only be found in Middle Eastern markets or through Internet sources, I recommend substituting bulgur for it. [ Makes 4 to 5 servings ]
2 chicken breast halves on the bone (about 11⁄2 pounds)
7 tablespoons clarified unsalted butter or unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half, seeds squeezed out, and grated against the largest holes of a standing grater down to the peel, or one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt and more as needed
Water as needed
1⁄2 pound (1 cup) freekeh (green wheat) or coarse bulgur #4, picked over for stones and chaff and rinsed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground lamb, beef, or veal
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 large egg yolk
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro (fresh coriander), leaves only, finely chopped
1. Place the chicken breast in a large pot with the clarified butter, turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the onions, tomatoes, cayenne, and salt and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Pour in 6 cups of water, increase the heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Remove the chicken breasts, leaving the chicken broth in the pot, and when the breasts are cool enough to handle remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones and skin. Chop the meat into small pieces and set aside.
3. Pass the chicken broth through a food mill into a clean pot, setting aside in another pan about 2 cups of the broth in order to poach the meatballs you’ll make in Step 4. (If you don’t have a food mill, pour the broth through a strainer into a blender. Then add about half of the solids in the strainer to the blender and purée, discarding the remaining solids in the strainer. Add this blender broth to the large pot.) Heat the broth over medium heat, then add the freekeh or bulgur and tomato paste and stir until the tomato paste is blended. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the freekeh or bulgur is tender but chewy, 45 to 60 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the ground lamb with the parsley, cornstarch, egg yolk, salt, and pepper. Form into little balls about 3⁄4 inch in diameter with wet hands so they don’t stick. Add the meatballs to the reserved 2 cups of broth in a pot with the celery and cilantro and cook over medium heat until firm, about 15 minutes.
5. Place the chicken meat in a soup tureen and ladle the freekeh or bulgur soup over them. Then add the meatballs and the broth they cooked in and serve hot.
peruvian creole soup
The cuisine of Peru is quite diverse, not only because of the country’s many ethnic groups but also because of the great variety of edible plants that grow there and provide the raw materials for inventive cooks. “Creole” is an apt expression for all of Peruvian cuisine and not just this soup, although the appellation criolla tends to be applied to dishes that come from Lima, where populations mix more readily. This creole soup is called just that, sopa a la criolla. [ Makes 4 to 6 servings ]
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1⁄4 pound beef sirloin or flank steak, cut into 2-inch strips
1 medium tomato, cut in half, seeds squeezed out, and grated against the largest holes of a box grater down to the peel
1 small onion, separated and cut up in 1⁄2-inch squares
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 cups water
3 sprigs fresh parsley
3 sprigs cilantro (fresh coriander)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1⁄4 pound angel hair pasta (capellini)
2 large eggs
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 red or green jalapeño chile, seeded and sliced
4 to 6 small toast points
1. In a medium-size skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the beef and cook until it turns color on both sides, about 1 minute. Add the tomato, onion, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Set aside, leaving it in the skillet.
2. In a pot, add the water, parsley, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, and garlic salt, bring to a boil over high heat, and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and discard all the herbs, then add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Drain the pasta through a strainer, returning the liquid to the pot. Transfer the pasta to the skillet with the meat and toss well.
3. Bring the cooking liquid from the pasta to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat off. Break the eggs into the soup without stirring. When the eggs are firm, after about 5 minutes, add the can of evaporated milk and stir gently. Add the contents of the skillet to the soup and stir gently. Add the chile and stir again. Serve the soup in individual bowls, breaking the eggs up or leaving them whole if serving just a couple of people, and then place a small piece of toast to float on top.
bolivian corn soup
Called lagua de choclo, meaning “fresh corn kernel soup,” this soup from La Paz results in a thick and creamy soup (although there is no cream in it) that is delicious and easy to make. The corn will look very creamy after you grind it in the food processor. The secret is fresh corn scraped off the cob. [ Makes 6 to 8 servings ]
1 pound beef chuck, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 turnip (6 ounces), peeled and diced
8 cups water
5 teaspoons salt
8 small Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and sliced
Kernels from 6 large corn cobs, ground in a food processor
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1. Place the beef, onion, turnip, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, skimming foam when it appears, until the beef is nearly tender, about 1 hour.
2. Add the potatoes and simmer over low heat until tender but firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the ground corn, 1⁄2 cup at a time, stirring with each addition, and adding a little water if it is getting too thick, until all the corn is added. Add the oregano and cayenne, bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil until it thickens and has a creamy consistency, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
drunkard’s soup
This French-Canadian soup is called soupe à l’ivrogne, or “drunkard’s soup,” and is a Québécois version of an onion soup, although with all that bread in it, bread soup might be the more appropriate description. It is said that the soup is quite nice when nursing a hangover. It’s actually nice anytime, and particularly in the winter. Keep in mind when serving this soup that there are some people who might not like the soaked bread, known as sops in the Middle Ages, that bulks up the soup. Why they wouldn’t like it is beyond me, except for it’s soppy. [ Makes 8 servings ]
1⁄4 pound salt pork, diced
3 large onions, chopped
6 thick slices (about 10 ounces) dense country-style white bread, cubed with its crust
8 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs (equal amounts fresh parsley, thyme, tarragon)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. In an oven-proof cast-iron skillet, cook the salt pork over medium heat, stirring, until crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add the bread cubes and toss well to coat with the salt pork fat.
3. Place the skillet in the oven to toast the bread lightly, about 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large pot. Add the beef broth and herbs and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
wild rice and mushroom soup
This Canadian soup comes from an anonymous cook in Saint-Henri-de-Lévis, a rural community south of Quebec, Canada. It’s a quite variable soup, in that you can make it in several different ways, all of which are pleasing. First, I call for shiitake mushrooms, which give the soup a vaguely Japanese taste and appearance, but you could use the less overwhelming button mushrooms. Second, the onion can be sautéed first so that it is not as al dente as in this recipe. Third, one can bulk up the soup considerably by adding leftover pieces of roast game or more wild rice. Whatever you decide to do, the final result is a full-flavored soup that leaves you feeling light and nourished. [ Makes 8 servings ]
1⁄4 pound slab bacon, diced
1 small carrot, diced small
1 small leek, white part only, split lengthwise, washed well, and thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, diced small
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
3 quarts chicken broth
1⁄2 pound shiitake or button (white) mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups sliced)
1⁄4 cup very dry sherry
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chervil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
2 cups cooked wild rice, cooked according to the package instructions
1. In a large flame-proof casserole, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the carrot, leek, and celery to the casserole and cook in the bacon fat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the red onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. The bottom of the casserole will now be encrusted brown, which is fine, as you will shortly deglaze this flavor-giving crust with the chicken broth.
2. Add the chicken broth, mushrooms, dry sherry, parsley, chervil, and tarragon and stir for 1 minute, stirring and scraping the bottom of the casserole. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the mushrooms are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the wild rice and bacon and serve hot.
Note 1: Be careful that you do not use cream sherry or medium dry sherry because both are too sweet. Use vermouth if you don’t have sherry.
Note 2: If there are no instructions for cooking the wild rice, place 1⁄2 cup of raw wild rice in a saucepan with 4 cups cold water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 30 minutes. Drain the wild rice and it is ready to use. One-half cup raw wild rice will result in about 11⁄2 cups cooked.
Variations: You can cook the sliced onion separately in butter until completely soft before adding it to the soup. You can also add 1 cup of diced cooked turkey, quail, rabbit, or venison and another cup of cooked wild rice for a more substantial soup.
griddled fenugreek pasta and green wheat soup
This unique and unusual winter soup from Algeria uses durum wheat, also called semolina, in two forms: as squares of fresh pasta made with fenugreek mixed into the dough that are first cooked on a griddle before going into the soup, and as the roasted young or green wheat called freekeh. I admit this recipe is labor intensive and that freekeh is hard to find, but I include it in this collection because it is so satisfying and will definitely be a topic of conversation for your guests.
It is called jishīsha farīk, and it can also be made with barley or bulgur. Jishīsha is derived from a word meaning “coarsely ground grains.” Freekeh’s unique smell and taste is the result of the smoldering of the grain during its processing. It is a very old form of wheat product, first mentioned in the thirteenth-century Hispano-Muslim cookbook by Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī called Fadālat al-khiwān, in which a recipe called jashīsh appears to be a large semolina ball, or perhaps at least the part of the semolina that didn’t get crushed in medieval mills. It is mixed with fenugreek to form the jashīsh. Another Hispano-Muslim cookbook of the thirteenth century, the anonymous Kitāb al-tabīkh fī al-Maghrib wa’l-Āndalus (Cookery book of the Maghrib and Andalusia), also called the Almohad cookbook, has two recipes for jashīsh, which one English translator called “grits.”
Freekeh can be found in Middle Eastern markets or purchased online at www.surfasonline.com/products/33999.cfm. You can read more about green wheat. Bulgur is a fine substitute for freekeh. If you have leftovers, you’ll need to add water to reconstitute the soup because the pasta will absorb the broth. [ Makes 4 servings ]
For the pasta
1⁄2 pound (1 cup) fine semolina flour
2 tablespoons ground fenugreek
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons water and more as needed
11⁄2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the soup
3⁄4 pound beef top loin, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
11⁄2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1⁄2 teaspoon rās al-hanūt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 pound (1⁄2 cup) freekeh (green wheat), or coarse bulgur #4, picked over for stones and chaff and rinsed well
1⁄2 bunch cilantro (fresh coriander), leaves only, chopped
1. To make the pasta: in a bowl, mix the semolina flour with the fenugreek and salt and add the water, then form into a ball of dough, adding water only by the tablespoon to help it form a ball. Turn out the ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, wetting your hands to help the dough stick together, until it forms a soft, malleable ball, after about 8 minutes of kneading. Divide the ball of dough into 2 smaller balls about the size of a tangerine. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.
2. Preheat a cast-iron griddle over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Unwrap each ball of dough and press flat, using slightly oiled hands. When the dough is flat enough to run through the roller of a pasta machine, roll it out into a sheet of dough about 1 millimeter in thickness. Cut the dough into 1⁄2-inch squares or any shape. (If you don’t have a pasta roller then you’ll need to use a rolling pin and some elbow grease).
4. Spread a light film of olive oil on the griddle with a paper towel. Working quickly, space the raw pasta dough squares close to each other on the griddle and cook until light golden, about 5 minutes, turning them at least once. Set aside.
5. To make the soup: in a pot, preferably earthenware, add the beef, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, cayenne, salt, rās al-hanūt, and black pepper. Add 11⁄2 cups water, turn the heat to medium, then cook, stirring, and adding another 3 cups water as it cooks, until the beef is almost tender, about 45 minutes.
6. Add the freekeh or bulgur slowly, then add 4 cups water and leave it to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the freekeh or bulgur is tender, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle on the cilantro and stir. Add the pasta, let it sit, covered, off the heat for 10 minutes, then serve.
armenian barley yogurt soup
This soup called spas in Armenian is easy to make, but tricky in that you must whisk constantly so the eggs don’t congeal and the yogurt doesn’t separate. It sounds complicated, but it’s not—if you whisk constantly—so pay attention to the instructions in Step 3. Spas is also not as heavy as it sounds; in fact, its taste is refreshing in a satisfying way. The soup can be served cold, too, in which case don’t finish it with the herbs right away. Let the cooked soup cool at room temperature, refrigerate for 4 hours, then sprinkle on the herbs and serve. The chilled soup is refreshing in summer. [ Makes 4 to 6 servings ]
10 cups cold water
1⁄4 cup pearl barley
2 cups (16 ounces) plain whole yogurt
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
21⁄2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
1. In a pot, bring 6 cups of the water to a boil over high heat, then add the barley and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the barley through a strainer and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 4 cups water with the yogurt and stir until dissolved and smooth.
3. In a large pot, break the eggs and beat with a whisk, then add the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, while whisking. Slowly whisk in the yogurt mixture and once it is blended with the eggs, turn the heat to high and bring to a near boil while whisking constantly, 8 to 9 minutes; never let it come to a boil or even bubble on the edges: immediately reduce the heat to low or remove from the heat entirely if you see bubbles on the edges. Simmer or stir until the mixture thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure you incorporate any flour that has collected at the bottom of the pot.
4. Stir in the cooked barley, raw chopped onion, butter, and salt and simmer for another minute. Check the seasoning. Serve in individual bowls with the chopped mint and cilantro sprinkled on top.
armenian trahana soup
This recipe is a two-step process because you must first make the trahana, which needs about a week. The amount of trahana you will make in this recipe is enough to make this soup and the Greek Trahana Soup of Chios. Although this is an Armenian recipe, the grain product known as trahana (targhana in Armenian, tarhana in Turkish, and trahanas in Greek—and even more spellings!) has a long history and is found throughout many Turkic-speaking regions as well as in the Balkans, Hungary, and to the east as far as Iran.
The first record of trahana can be found in the writing of the fourteenth-century Persian poet Bushaq-i At’ima. What is trahana? It is a leavened (usually) wheat flour and yogurt mixture that is sun-dried and left to ferment for up to seven days and is then stored and used for soups and stews. In the Turkish version of trahana, vegetables such as cooked onion, red bell pepper, or tomato are added to the fermenting flour-yogurt mixture. The final version of Turkish-style tarhana soup might contain ground meat and tomatoes. In Cyprus, a tarhana soup is made with the addition of halloumi cheese. The Lebanese kishk is a similar product. In this version, coarse bulgur is added to the flour and yogurt mixture. [ Makes 8 servings ]
For the trahana (makes 3 to 4 cups)
11⁄2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup water
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) plain whole yogurt, preferably slightly sour
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
11⁄3 cups coarse bulgur #3 or #4
For the soup
8 cups beef broth
1⁄4 cup unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried mint
Salt to taste
2 cups (16 ounces) plain whole yogurt, at room temperature
1. To make the trahana: several days before you plan to serve, in a bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1⁄4 cup of the water, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and remaining water. Stir in the yogurt, then the flour and bulgur. Mix well. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand overnight on a kitchen counter.
2. The next day, form the dough into egg-size pieces and flatten them in your hands until about ⅛ inch thick; you can keep your hands floured so the dough doesn’t stick too much. Set them on a tablecloth or kitchen towels to dry on one side, then turn them over until thoroughly dried, perhaps 2 days in all. Leave for another 2 to 4 days until completely dry, then break and crumble into smaller pieces and store in a tight jar until needed. You’ll have about 3 to 4 cups of trahana.
3. To make the soup: in a pot, bring the beef broth to a boil over high heat, then add 1 cup of the crumbled trahana, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Mix in the mint and salt and remove from the heat.
5. Once the trahana is cooked, stir the onion mixture into it, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the yogurt, and serve hot.
libyan soup
Contemporary Libya can be divided into the historical regions of Tripolitania to the west and Cyrenaica to the east. Libyans will tell you that their region was always too poor to have developed a cuisine. Everything appears vaguely familiar to cuisine in surrounding regions. The Italian influence is strong, especially in restaurants, and Libyans eat lots of pasta. Whether this was the result of the Italian occupation in the twentieth century or an addition to a pre-existing substratum of macaroni cookery is uncertain. If any dish can be considered a “national” dish, it is either bazīn or this soup called shūrba libiyya. Bazīn is a kind of polenta made with semolina and water and sometimes yeast, found along the southern Tunisian and Libyan littoral. This recipe was given to me by Professor Lisa Anderson, a scholar of modern Libya at Columbia University, who tells me that it “summarizes Libyan cuisine, such as it is.” [ Makes 4 servings ]
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon clarified unsalted butter or unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped or grated
1 pound beef chuck or boneless lamb shoulder or leg, trimmed of fat and cubed
6 very ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 cups water
1⁄2 cup canned chickpeas, drained
1⁄2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (from about 1⁄2 bunch parsley)
1 teaspoon ground chile powder or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon bzar (see Note)
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 cup pastina (soup pasta)
1 teaspoon dried mint
1. In a medium-size casserole, heat the olive oil with the clarified butter over medium-high heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the beef or lamb and cook, stirring, until browned on all sides, 2 to 4 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, the tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup of the water, the chickpeas, parsley, chile powder, bzar, salt, and cinnamon and cook for 10 minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups of water and cook, covered, until the meat is tender, 1 to 11⁄4 hours. Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, until done, about 10 minutes. Just before serving stir in the mint. Serve hot.
Note: The Libyan spice mix known as bzar is usually made of equal parts of black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, zedoary (Curcurma zedoria) or galangal, ground ginger, and a smaller part of cumin. Use whatever of the spices mentioned that you have.
kazakh noodle and lamb soup
The combination of noodles and yogurt among Turkic-speaking peoples is quite old. An eleventh-century Turkish lexicon describes a now forgotten thick soup of noodles, lentils, and yogurt called tutmaç. In Kazakhstan, a Turkic-speaking Central Asian country, mutton and horsemeat are very popular, but this soup can be made with beef or lamb. This Kazakh soup called kespe, or noodles, is quite nice if you can personalize your noodles by making them at home. It’s not hard to do, but there’s also nothing wrong with store-bought noodles. Skip Steps 1 and 2 if using store-bought pasta, in which case you will need 6 ounces of fettuccine. I’ve called for the soup to be flavored with fresh dill, but a Kazakh cook might use a variety of greens and not just herbs. Kespe is served in a special bowl called a kese, which looks like a Japanese soup bowl, and is drunk from the bowl along with katyk, a sour yogurt product. [ Makes 6 servings ]
For the noodles
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tablespoon water
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
For the lamb soup
21⁄2 pounds lamb shoulder on the bone or beef shank
4 bay leaves
Water as needed
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
Plain yogurt for garnish (optional)
1. To prepare the noodles: mix the flour, egg, water, and salt together in a bowl, then form into a smooth and firm ball. Turn the dough ball out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, using a little more flour if it is sticky. Wrap the ball in a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
2. Roll the noodle dough out with a rolling pin until it can fit into the largest opening of a pasta roller. Put it through the roller just once. (If you don’t have a pasta roller, roll the dough out with a rolling pin on a large, uncluttered work surface until you have a thin lasagna-like sheet of dough.) Cut the dough into strips as wide as fettuccine and 3 to 4 inches long. Arrange on a kitchen towel to dry while you continue the preparation.
3. Meanwhile, to prepare the soup: with a sharp paring or fillet knife, remove the meat from the lamb, place the bones in a pot with 2 of the bay leaves, and cover with 6 cups of water. Bring to a near boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer with the water bubbling gently, skimming the surface when foam arises, until you have a fragrant lamb broth, about 11⁄2 hours.
4. Remove the big chunks of excess fat from the lamb meat, cut the meat into 3⁄4-inch cubes, and set aside.
5. Remove the lamb bones and bay leaves from the broth and discard the bones. Add the cubed lamb and the remaining 2 bay leaves to the broth along with 4 cups of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 11⁄2 hours.
6. While the lamb is cooking, bring a few cups of water to a boil in a small pot, add the carrots and onion, blanch for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside.
7. Bring the lamb broth to a boil over high heat, then add the noodles and reserved carrots and onion. Taste, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, about 7 minutes if using freshly made. (Follow the package instructions if using store-bought.) Ladle into deep soup bowls, sprinkle with the dill, and serve. Serve the yogurt on the side, if desired.
trahana soup of chios
This soup from the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean, very near Turkey, is called trahanosoupa. Trahana is a species of the dried alimentary pastes of the Mediterranean (another being pasta) made by mixing durum wheat flour with eggs and sour milk called xynogala, or sometimes sweet milk; the mixture is then dried in the sun. It probably was invented as a means of preserving milk and eggs before refrigeration.
Trahana is also known in Turkey and Armenia, where it is more likely to be made with bulgur instead of flour and yogurt instead of milk. Bulgur, another durum wheat food product, is cracked sun-parched hard wheat. In Turkey, tomatoes and bell peppers are sometimes stirred into the trahana dough before drying. On Chios, an island that was ruled by the Genoese during the Middle Ages, there is also a Turkish culinary influence, a result of the islands’ proximity to the great city of Izmir. This is a traditional family recipe usually made during winter. It is usually made with tomatoes, eggs, cheese, and milk curds. This is a rich soup and best finished in the oven with oven-proof soup bowls and eaten with flatbread. [ Makes 4 servings ]
1 quart water
11⁄2 cups tomato purée, fresh or canned
3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups (6 ounces) Trahana (see Steps 1 and 2)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 slices feta cheese (about 6 ounces), soaked in water until needed and drained
1 cup fine semolina flour
4 large eggs
11⁄2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 500ºF.
2. Pour the water into a pot and whisk in the tomato purée. Add the olive oil, bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, reduce to medium, and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the trahana and cook, stirring gently, for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Dredge the feta cheese slices in the semolina on all sides, tapping off any excess, then cook on both sides until golden brown, turning once, for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave in the skillet until needed.
4. Crack the eggs into the soup and cook, stirring in one direction very gently, for 3 minutes. Season with the salt.
5. Transfer the soup to an oven-proof tureen or stew pot or 4 oven-proof soup bowls, add the fried cheese slices on top, and bake until bubbling, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.
pho
It is remarkable how quickly pho (pronounced fuh), described as the national soup of Vietnam, became an American favorite, especially in California, where most Vietnamese immigrants have settled. It’s just a beef and rice noodle soup, but with extraordinary delicacy and flavor. This version of pho is a Vietnamese-American version, so described to reflect the wealth found in this country, because the original soup comes from a poor country. Andrea Q. Nguyen, writing for the San Jose Mercury News, tells us that pho was probably invented in Hanoi sometime in the early twentieth century, as it shows both Vietnamese and French influences. In fact, some have argued that pho is a corruption of the French feu, as in the famous French stew pot-au-feu. Nguyen also tells us that the addition of beef must have been an attempt to satisfy French customers, as cows were more for labor than food in Vietnam a hundred years ago. After the split of Vietnam into north and south in 1954, many northerners moved south with their pho, only to find southerners adding all kinds of ingredients to the soup. A rule of thumb for this soup, in case you make a small portion, is 1 tablespoon of fish sauce for every quart of broth. Pho is considered a main course. [ Makes 8 servings ]
For the broth
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 large onions, cut into 1⁄4-inch slices
21⁄2 pounds meaty beef soup bones
21⁄2 pounds cooked chicken carcass or chicken wings, backbone, and/or feet
5 quarts water
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
4 slices fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
1 small stick cinnamon
Seeds from 5 pods cardamom, lightly crushed
2 star anise
2 whole cloves
2 garlic cloves, crushed with their peel left on
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
For the soup
1⁄2 pound beef sirloin, sliced very thin across the grain in bite-size pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, sliced as thin as paper
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 cups (1⁄2 pound) fresh bean sprouts
6 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) leaves
4 fresh red or green serrano chiles, seeded and sliced in rings or julienned
2 limes, quartered
6 to 8 ounces rice sticks (thin rice noodles), soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained
1⁄4 cup Vietnamese or Thai (nuoc mam or nam pla) fish sauce or more to taste
1. To make the broth: the day before you plan to serve the soup, in a large stockpot, heat the peanut oil over high heat, then add the sliced onions and cook, stirring, until browned on the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the onions and set aside.
2. Place the beef and chicken pieces in the stockpot and cover with the water. Bring to a near boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, skimming the surface of foam, for 15 minutes. Add the reserved cooked onion slices and the carrots, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, cloves, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer, partially covered, for 6 hours, skimming the surface of foam when needed. Strain the stock through a strainer into a large bowl. Strain again through a cheesecloth-lined strainer back into the cleaned stockpot or bowl. Refrigerate overnight or until the layer of fat forms on top, then remove and discard the fat. You will use 12 cups of broth. (The broth can be frozen at this point if you wish.)
3. When you are ready to serve, attractively arrange the sliced beef sirloin, seasoned with salt and pepper, on a platter and garnish the platter with the paper-thin-sliced onion and scallions. On another platter or plate, attractively arrange the bean sprouts, cilantro, chiles, and limes.
4. Thirty minutes before you want to serve the soup, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat off, then add the rice sticks and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain the rice noodles and place equal portions in each of the 8 soup bowls. Cover to keep warm.
5. Meanwhile, bring the beef broth to a boil over high heat and add the fish sauce and 1 teaspoon of black pepper; taste and add more of both if necessary. Pour the broth in a chafing dish or soup tureen and place over a portable warmer to keep hot in the center of the table for diners to serve themselves. Serve the soup, allowing each diner to add some beef and onion to a bowl. Ladle the hot broth over the meat, stirring to cook the meat. Add the bean sprouts, cilantro, chiles, and a squeeze of lime to taste.
filipino noodles in broth
Here is the famous pancit mami, or noodles in broth soup, that Filipinos so love. Pancit are noodles, in this case made from rice. This is a quick-cooking dish, one of the reasons for its popularity among Filipino cooks. In fact, the word pancit is said to derive from the Hokkien (Fujian) words pian i sit, which mean “something conveniently cooked fast.” Hokkien is the Chinese language spoken in Fujian province in southeastern China on the China Sea, from which many Filipinos of Chinese extraction come. The first pancit probably came to the Philippines as a result of trade with China.
In the Philippines, the topping for a noodle soup is an indicator of its provenance, so, for example, one will find shellfish in a coastal town or pork cracklings in pig-raising areas. The mami suffix to pancit means the noodles are fat, like Japanese udon noodles, which is what I call for here. The Filipino travel web site www.cockatoo.com tells us that the word mami is not a Tagalog word, but a Fujian Chinese word introduced to the Philippines by a popular Chinese restaurant and noodle factory called Ma Mon Lok, whose owners came from Fujian. If you decide to use the wheat-based fresh udon noodles, they are, surprisingly, sold in many supermarkets, usually on the perimeter of the store in a cold section where you’ll also find other Asian products such as wonton noodle sheets, tofu, and sliced pickled turnips used for sushi. Although Filipinos generally don’t spice up a soup like this, you can add a few squirts of Thai chile sauce if you like it piquant. [ Makes 4 servings ]
3 cups water
1⁄4 pound boneless pork loin, fat removed
1⁄4 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon salt and more to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
14 ounces flat rice noodles (pad thai) or fresh Japanese udon noodles
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1. In a pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and add the pork and chicken, both in one piece. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook until firm and tender, about 18 minutes; the water should never be bubbling. Remove the meat from the water, saving the cooking liquid, and let cool. Cut the pork into thin strips, shred the chicken with a fork, and set aside.
2. In another pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pork and chicken and stir, then add the reserved cooking liquid, turn the heat to high, and cook for 2 minutes. Season with more salt, if necessary, and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, divide the raw uncooked noodles into the serving bowls, then ladle the hot soup over each to fill the bowls and let sit for 8 to 10 minutes. The hot broth will cook the noodles. Garnish each bowl with minced scallions and serve hot.