Sephardic Jewish Legume Soup

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveLarge pot
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   ⚙ 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 and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.

To assemble

1. 4
   Add the meat and fry, turning, until the meat is browned on all sides.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
2. 5
   Sprinkle in the cumin, paprika and cinnamon and stir for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant.
3. 6
   Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes softens.

   Stove
4. 7
   Add the legumes, lentils, bones and water and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam with a spoon.

   Stove
5. 8
   Turn down the heat and simmer with the lid slightly open 120–150 minutes, until the legumes is tender. After 1 hour of cooking, add the lentils.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
6. 9
   Season with salt and black pepper, taste and adjust.
7. 10
   Serve hot with bread.