- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 3-4 stalks of scallions
- 1 green serrano pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6-8 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I used a combination of the two since that was all I had around)
- 1/2 cup dried yellow split peas
- 1 15 oz can rinsed chickpeas
- 1 1/2 cups cooked roman beans
- fine grain sea salt to taste
- 3 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- juice of one lime
Topping:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
Heat the oil in a large, thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, and carrots and cook until they soften, a few minutes. Add the spices and cook for another thirty seconds, just long enough for them to toast a bit, then stir in the stock. Bring to a boil and add the split peas to the pot. Cook until they are just tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the cooked chickpeas and roman beans. Once the beans have heated throughout, season with salt to taste.
While the soup is cooking, make the carmelized onions. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat along with a couple big pinches of salt. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, 15-20 minutes. Set aside. Place on a paper towel to drain.
Just before you’re ready to eat, Stir in the spinach, and cilantro and dill. Add the fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Serve right away, each bowl topped with a big spoonful of caramelized onions.
Serves about 4.
Adapted from Heidi Swanson’s blog, www.101cookbooks.com… she adapted it from Saraban, by Greg & Lucy Malouf.
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