Smoky Chickpea Soup With Herbs And Yogurt Recipes

Steps:

• Steam the spinach until just wilted, about two minutes. Rinse with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop. Set aside.
• In a mortar and pestle, combine the garlic and a generous pinch of salt; mash to a paste. Stir into the yogurt. Add the water, and stir together. Add the cumin seeds, and stir in the spinach and chickpeas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill several hours. If desired, add the lemon juice. Garnish each serving with chopped fresh dill or parsley and an optional drizzle of olive oil.

Steps:

• Cook the orzo or rice in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes, until done (check the package instructions), and then drain. Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a separate pan.
• In a bowl, beat the cornstarch and egg yolk together with a fork until smooth, then beat in a spoonful of the yogurt until well blended. You can then add the remaining yogurt and beat until combined. Stir in the mint, saffron or turmeric, and some black pepper.
• Take the stock off the heat and pour in the yogurt mixture, whisking vigorously. Stir over very low heat until the soup begins to simmer. Continue to stir for 3 to 5 minutes, until it thickens slightly, then add the chickpeas and heat through. Season with a little salt.
• A few minutes before serving, mix the cooked orzo or rice into the soup.
• Serve with extra-virgin olive oil, sumac, and Aleppo pepper for people to sprinkle on the soup if they want to.