Hamusta – Cabbage Soup with Meat

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onion in it for 10–15 minutes, until the onion turns golden.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveLarge pot
2. 2
   Add the meat and fry, turning, until the meat is browned on all sides.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 3
   Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric and paprika and fry 1 minute, until fragrant.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
4. 4
   Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook 5 minutes, stirring.

   Stove
5. 5
   Add the water and bring to a boil.

   Stove
6. 6
   Turn down the heat and simmer 40 minutes.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
7. 7
   Add the cabbage and cook 20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

   Stove
8. 8
   Stir in the lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Taste: the soup should be tangy. Adjust to taste.

   💡Balance at the end, once the flavors have come together: add sour, sweet and salty a little at a time, tasting between additions.
9. 9
   Serve hot in bowls, and sprinkle the parsley on top.