Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I have always loved pomegranate, even before it was pronounced the wonder food of our generation. Here is a recipe from The Legendary cuisine of Persia by Margaret Shaida for a wonderful pomegranate soup. Think fall!
Ingredients
1/2 cup short grain rice
3/4 cup yellow split peas
2 medium onions
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound ground beef
1 bunch scallions
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
3 sprigs fresh mint
6 tablespoons Pomegranate syrup
3 tablespoons sugar
2 quarts water or chicken stock or vegetable stock
Procedure
Wash the rice and the split peas and leave to soak separately for 30 minutes. Slice one onion and fry in oil till golden. Add turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Then stir in the drained rice and split peas. Add 2 quarts of water, chicken stock or vegetable stock and simmer for 1 hour. In the meantime, grate the 2nd onion and add to the meat along with salt and pepper, and with wet hands, make tiny meatballs and drop them into the soup as you make them. Now clean, dry, and chop up the parsley, cilantro, and mint and add them to soup. Simmer 30 minutes more. Add more stock if necessary and stir once in a while. Now stir in the pomegranate syrup and sugar. Taste to adjust seasoning. Nice to garnish with a little caramelized onion and a mint leaf.
