Vegetable Hamusta with homemade vegetable stock

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Soup

1. 1
   Put the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, garlic, bay leaves and thyme in a large pot with the cold water.

   Large pot

   💡Start with cold water: the vegetables release their flavor slowly as the water heats up.
2. 2
   Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam.

   Stove
3. 3
   Turn down to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered 30–45 minutes.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
4. 4
   Strain the stock through a fine sieve.

   Fine sieve
5. 5
   Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onion in it for 10–15 minutes, until the onion turns golden.

   StoveLarge pot
6. 6
   Add the garlic and turmeric and fry 1 minute, until fragrant.

   Stove

   💡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.
7. 7
   Add and stir.

   Stove
8. 8
   Add the stock, potatoes, carrot and celery and bring to a boil.

   Stove
9. 9
   Turn down the heat and simmer 20 minutes.

   Stove
10. 10
    Add the green beans and cook 10 minutes, until the green beans is tender.

    Stove
11. 11
    Stir in the lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Taste: the soup should be sour. 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.
12. 12
    Serve hot in bowls, and sprinkle the cilantro on top.