Best Eshkeneh Yeh Adas Lentil Egg Drop Soup Recipes

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ESHKENEH-YEH ADAS (LENTIL EGG DROP SOUP)



Eshkeneh-yeh Adas (Lentil Egg Drop Soup) image

Somewhere between a soup and a stew, eshkeneh appears in various preparations throughout Iran. One of the oldest dishes in the country's cuisine, eshkeneh is simple, flavorful, nourishing and hearty. The rustic dish requires minimal ingredients and satisfies on cold winter days. This version is made with lentils, potatoes and eggs, which are typically added at the end as a thickener, and is flavored with a hit of warm Aleppo pepper. The dried fenugreek leaves add depth, warmth and a distinct bittersweet fragrance. You can also use about 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped fenugreek leaves if you have some, but do not use seeds or powder. Be mindful that too much fenugreek turns a dish bitter.

Provided by Naz Deravian

Categories     dinner, soups and stews, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large Yukon Gold potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup green or brown lentils
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems, plus more as garnish
2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves, crushed between your fingers (optional) (see Tip)
3 large eggs
Flatbread, for serving

Steps:

  • In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Add the potato, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, just so that the potato pieces are no longer raw. Add the turmeric, Aleppo pepper and black pepper, give it a stir, and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook just to take off the raw taste and deepen its color, stirring and taking care not to burn the paste, about 1 minute.
  • Add the lentils, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Add 6 cups of water, partially cover, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt or salt to taste, and stir. Cover completely, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and potatoes are cooked through, about 25 minutes. Add the cilantro and fenugreek, if using, and simmer for 5 minutes, until the herbs release their fragrance and flavor the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  • In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until combined. In a thin stream, add half of the eggs to the soup, gently breaking them up with the whisk, then repeat with the remaining eggs. (You don't want to scramble the eggs here, but just break up the eggs into strands.) Cover and cook for 2 minutes, until the eggs set. Divide among bowls and garnish each with cilantro leaves and a sprinkling of Aleppo pepper, if you like. Serve hot with bread on the side.

LENTIL AND ESCAROLE SOUP



Lentil and Escarole Soup image

The combination of legumes and bitter greens like escarole is common in southern Italy. Escarole is a bitter lettuce that looks a little bit like frisée but with wider, tougher leaves. It's high in vitamin A and a good source of iron and potassium. This recipe is adapted from one in "Cucina Rustica," by Evan Kleiman and Viana La Place. If you can't find escarole, you can substitute any hearty green.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories     dinner, easy, lunch, weekday, soups and stews, appetizer, main course

Time 1h10m

Yield Serves four to six

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large or 2 small carrots, cut in small dice
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice; or 3/4 pound tomatoes, seeded and grated
1 cup lentils, washed and picked over
A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, a few sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a Parmesan rind
6 cups water
Salt
freshly ground pepper
1 small head escarole, washed and roughly chopped about 6 cups
Optional: 4 to 6 slices country bread, toasted and rubbed with a cut clove of garlic

Steps:

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant, five to 10 minutes. Add the lentils and simmer with the tomato mixture for a few minutes, then add the bouquet garni and the water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and add salt to taste (1 to 2 teaspoons). Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Add the escarole, and bring back to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the escarole and the lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the bouquet garni.
  • Toast slices of country bread if desired and rub with a cut clove of garlic. Place a slice in each bowl, ladle in the soup and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 172, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 5 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 9 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 778 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams

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