This recipe was discovered online, and I have simplified the instructions. incredibly typical and delicious flavor. Spices can be adjusted to add heat as desired.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 20 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large sweet onions, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup yellow split peas
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 2 ¼ teaspoons mild paprika
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 ½ pounds ground lamb
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup basmati rice
- ½ cup minced fresh parsley
- ½ cup minced fresh mint
- ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cups pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, or more to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in split peas; cook until peas take on a bit of color, about 1 minute.
- Pour chicken stock into the pot. Add pepper, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, fennel seeds, and cinnamon stick. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until peas are tender, about 20 minutes.
- While soup is simmering, prepare meatballs. Mix lamb, minced onion, mint, parsley, and garlic together. Form into walnut-sized meatballs. Drop meatballs into the simmering soup. Cook until no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes.
- Discard cinnamon stick from the soup. Add basmati rice, parsley, mint, pomegranate molasses, and honey. Cook until rice softens, about 20 minutes.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with pomegranate seeds and cream.
- Add pomegranate seeds to each bowl individually, not to the stockpot, as they will soften rapidly and lose their red color.
- Other herbs you could use instead of parsley or mint: celery leaves, cilantro, chives, or green onion.
- You can substitute or leave out meatballs for a vegetarian option. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 514 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 57 g |
| Cholesterol | 68 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Sodium | 744 mg |
| Sugars | 20 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |