A Persian Bean Soup aka New Year Noodle Soup

Cold winter nights call for soups that are hearty, hot and spicy. Soups are also no fuss and quite easy to make. Noodle soups especially make perfect one pot meals. From being someone who thought soups were boring and blah, have come a long way to actually enjoying them and looking for new recipes.

I saw this recipe for a soup called New Year Noodle Soup on 101Cookbooks.com and it was perfect.

Do you think it is weird that I think of what to cook for dinner while driving to work in the morning? That is what I did last Friday remembering the recipe that I had seen a few days earlier. Called home to catch DH and gave instructions to soak chick peas and small white beans. I can't for the life of me figure out how white beans can sound like fava beans. Anyway I come home to find chick peas and fava beans (the fava beans that I thought was over and done with) soaking. I suppress the urge to shout and instead try sounding out white beans and fava beans to find how one can be mistaken for the other.

I had initially thought of skipping the lentils from the recipe altogether but since there was no white beans I decided to add them which was perhaps the best part. The lentils gave heartiness and lots of flavor. I used puy lentils but whole massor or any other lentil would work fine.

Ingredients
1. 3/4 cup chickpeas soaked for 4-8 hours
2. 3/4 cup Puy Lentils
3. 1 1/2 cups of onions sliced
4. 1 bag baby spinach about 2 cups packed washed and cut into fine ribbons
5. 1/4 chopped cilantro
6. soba noodles as required
7. 2 -3 cups of stock or water (I used chicken stock)
8. 2 green chilies chopped
9. 1 tsp cumin powder + 1 tsp turmeric powder
10. 1/2 tbsp black pepper (or to taste)
11. 2 tsp red chili powder
12. 1 tsp sugar
13. lemon juice
14. salt to taste
15. 1 tbsp olive oil
16. 2-3 cloves of garlic crushed and minced

Method
1. Cook the chickpeas and lentils till soft (not mushy) and set aside
2. In a sauce pan heat oil and saute the onions till it starts to brown. Set some of the onions aside
3. Add the chopped green chili and saute for a minute
4. Add in the turmeric, cumin, chili and pepper powder and saute for a minute more
5. Add in the stock and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile set the water to cook the soba noodles. Sprinkle sugar on the saved sauteed onions and let them roast in the oven for a few minutes till caramelized.
6. Add in the cooked chickpeas and lentils
7. Let it come to a boil and cook for 10 more minutes
8. Add in the chopped spinach and cilantro, salt, a squeeze of lemon
9. When the soup has simmered for about 20 minutes, add in the partially cooked soba noodles and cook for a couple of more minutes

Serve hot with some olive oil, cream or butter on top along with the caramelized onions.