We ate this at Moosewood and it was so good I searched my cookbooks, found
it in _Sundays At Moosewood_, in the North Africa and the Northeast African
Highlands section. It is a bit more trouble than my favorite "dump it all
in one pot and cook", soups, but well worth it!
1 cup dried split peas
3 cups water
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2 cups chopped onions
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
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2 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup cooked rice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Rinse peas, put in soup pot with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, sauté the onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons water until
translucent. Mix in spices and sauté for 5 - 10 minutes more, stirring
frequently to prevent burning. Set aside.
When the split peas are cooked, stir in the onion mixture along with the
vegetable stock (I used a small amount of the stock to deglaze the sauté
pan, many wonderful flavors stuck to the bottom!) Add the lemon juice and
cooked rice, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and gently
reheat is necessary.
Jan G
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