Klourig Soup

Klourig, in my grandmother's language, means "little rounds" or "little balls". This is a very satisfying and quite quick soup (if like me, you get you husband to form the meatballs :-) ). They should be the size of marbles.
Here's how it's done:

Ingredients for the meatballs:
500 g ground beef
1 cup fine bulgur
Spices, about ½ to 3/4 teaspoon  each: sweet pepper, 7 spices, cumin, coriander, allspice
A pinch each of cinnammon, nutmeg and cardamon
Salt and pepper
(Note that you can mix and match the spices as you like).

Soak the bulgur in water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Press the water out of the bulgur with your hands, and add it to the meat. Add the spices.
Mix the whole thing really well.
Form into small balls the size of marbles.

Ingredients for the soup part:
1½ liters bouillon
1 large onion
1 small can tomato paste (approx 2 tablespoons)
1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed in a mortar with some salt.
The juice of 1 lemon.
A small handful dried crushed mint.

For the soup part, finely slice one big onion (or 2 small) and let them become translucent in some olive oil in a pot. Pour 1 ½ liters of bouillon on the onions, dilute one can small tomato paste in it and bring to a boil.

Add the meat balls. They will cook quite quickly (a few minutes).

Add the crushed garlic and lemon juice.
Sprinkle with dried crushed mint.

Serve and enjoy!

Lentil Soup - 2 versions

This is how my mom makes mergimekli chorba (lentil soup)

1 cup red lentils,cleaned from small stones and impurties (but maybe your lentils don't need this step) and well rinsed.
1 potato, grossly diced
1 carrot, grossly diced
1 zucchini, grossly diced
1 large onion, chopped
some garlic (4-5 cloves)
Bouillon (I guess about 8 cups)
Cumin
salt and black pepper

Boil everything together until lentils and vegtables are very soft.
Blend (easiest with a hand blender) and serve, sprinkled with ground cumin.
As an extra treat, you can fry some flat pita pieces in oil until golden, and serve with the soup (sprinkle it on each bowl just before eating).

There is also this version, which is maybe more Lebanese, but also very good. It is Lentil soup with Siliq (swiss chard)
Here you use brown lentils.

1 cup brown lentils, picked and rinsed
2 big handfuls siliq rinsed and coaresly chopped
Bouillon
1 large onion
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
Juice of ½ or whole lemon
salt
pepper

Bring the lentils to a boil
Add the swiss chard
Fry the onion in some olive oil until wilted. Add to the soup.
Gently fry the garlic nd coriander (heavenly smell). Add to the soup.
When the lentils are done, add lemon juive, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

Bon apetit!

Yoghurt soup

This recipe is for my cousin Gemma (sorry it took so long, Gemma).

Yoghurt soup is also a great hit in our house. It is easy and quick, and can be varied as to what you put in it, so it can stretch from a light and warm starter, to a full and satisfying meal.

Choose a yoghurt with a degree or tartness you like. I like it not too acid, but not completely lacking acidity either. The consistency should be quite liquid. Of course the thicker the yoghurt you use, the more water you will need to add. And vice versa. (Here in Denmark, yoghurt is traditionally quite liquid, but recently, all kinds of more creamy and thick yoghurts can be found on the market, usually sold as Greek or Turkish yoghurt).

Although I have decided to cut down on the use of bouillon cubes, it does give the flavour a distinct plus in this recipe.

As to the type of "filling" that can be used with the soup, the simplest is probably cooked round rice. But also cooked tortellini, meat cubes, chicken cubes... anything your imagination fancies. Unless whatever you decide to "fill" the soup with cooks almost instantly, I would recommend the add it in at the last minute, after the soup is cooked, to heat through, then serve.

So here is how to make it. I would be happy to hear how it works for you.

1 Tbs olive oil
4 to 8 cloves garlic (or one, depending on your taste), crushed.
1 chicken bouillon cube (I use one Maggi or Knorr bouillon)
1/2 liter (thick) yoghurt
1 liter water
1 Tbs maïzena (cornstarch), diluted in 1/2 cup of cold water (it prevents the yoghurt from separating as it heats).
Crushed dried mint - a little handful

-Dilute the bouillon cube over medium heat with half the crushed garlic. (don't let the garlic brown)
- Add the yoghurt, the water and the cornstarch.
- Keep stirring (best with a wisk) and bring to a boil. Add the rest of the crushed garlic.
It's ready!
- Add rice, cooked tortellini, etc... and sprinkle with the dried mint

Enjoy!