Showing posts with label Iraqi cuisine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iraqi cuisine. Show all posts
Friday, November 15, 2013
HOT PINK DELICIOUSNESS-- VEGAN SHORBAT RUMMAN (IRAQI POMEGRANATE SOUP WITH BEETS)
What a beautiful soup, in every way-- sweet-and-sour deliciousness, and vibrant hot pink color with contrasting flecks of green. It’s a meal in itself, and very easy to make. I developed my vegan version of this traditional Iraqi recipe during the last war in Iraq. I was so upset about the war and the devastation and my feelings of helplessness around it that I began researching Iraqi history, culture and, of course, cuisine, which goes back some 3,000 years to the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians and ancient Persians. When Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258), this sophisticated cuisine was at its zenith.
This soup always reminds me of that sorrowful time, but it's beauty, healthfulness and delicious taste reminds me that peace is worth striving for. It also is a great illustration of how food can bring us together at the global table, celebrating our differences and our similarities. And it is also an excellent example of how very simple, common ingredients (except, perhaps, for the pomegranate molasses, which is common in the Middle East and now becoming better known in North America) can be used to create a sublime eating experience.
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA’S VEGAN
SHORBAT RUMMAN (IRAQI POMEGRANATE SOUP)
From my book, World Vegan Feast (Vegan Heritage Press, 2011)
Serves 6
From my book, World Vegan Feast (Vegan Heritage Press, 2011)
Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
8 cups vegan broth (you may need another cup or two of broth if the soup seems too thick for you in the end)
1 tablespoon yeast extract, such as Marmite
1/2 cup yellow split peas, picked over, rinsed, and drained
3 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
1 small bunch green onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice or 3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses OR 1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound fresh spinach, cleaned and trimmed, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
Optional: 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Garnish—mix together:
1 tablespoon dried mint, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup chopped onion
8 cups vegan broth (you may need another cup or two of broth if the soup seems too thick for you in the end)
1 tablespoon yeast extract, such as Marmite
1/2 cup yellow split peas, picked over, rinsed, and drained
3 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
1 small bunch green onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice or 3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses OR 1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound fresh spinach, cleaned and trimmed, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
Optional: 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Garnish—mix together:
1 tablespoon dried mint, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and sauté over medium-high
heat until the onions wilt. Add the
broth, Marmite, and split peas to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Skim off any foam that gathers on top. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1
hour. Add the beets and cooked rice and
cook 30 minutes.
Add the green onions, sugar, lemon or lime juice, parsley, and pomegranate molasses or juice. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Bring the soup to a boil again, and add the spinach, stirring as it wilts. Stir in cilantro, if you are using it. Add more broth if it seems too thick to you, and taste for salt.
Serve hot, sprinkling each serving with some of the Garnish, and plenty of Arabic-style flat breads, pita, (recipes here and here) or crusty bread, alongside.
Add the green onions, sugar, lemon or lime juice, parsley, and pomegranate molasses or juice. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Bring the soup to a boil again, and add the spinach, stirring as it wilts. Stir in cilantro, if you are using it. Add more broth if it seems too thick to you, and taste for salt.
Serve hot, sprinkling each serving with some of the Garnish, and plenty of Arabic-style flat breads, pita, (recipes here and here) or crusty bread, alongside.
| Nutrition Facts |
| Nutrition (per serving): 226.2 calories; 12% calories from fat; 3.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 1131.5mg sodium; 942.8mg potassium; 38.6g carbohydrates; 9.0g fiber; 11.9g sugar; 29.6g net carbs; 11.2g protein; 4.0 points. |
Enjoy!
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