Adventures in Armenian Cooking - Soups

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Yogurt soup (MADZOON ABOUR)

by Anahid Merigian

1 qt. water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dzedzadz (hulled wheat)
1/2 cup chopped spinach or Swiss chard (fresh or frozen)
3 cups yogurt
1 tsp. flour
1 egg
1 tbsp. butter
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. mint, dried
1 crushed garlic

Cook wheat in one quart of salted water. When it is almost cooked, add the spinach. In 2½ quart pan, add yogurt, 1 cup water, garlic, flour and egg. Mix with hand beater. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Add wheat and spinach mixture.

In a small frying pan, saute butter, onions, and mint and add to soup. Let it simmer 5 minutes. Ready to serve.

Makes 2 quarts of soup

Hot yogurt soup (TAHNABOUR)

by Vart Hachigian

2/3 cup dzedzadz (hulled wheat)
3 cups yogurt
3 cups water
1 egg
2 tbsp. flour
½ tsp. salt
1 med. onion, chopped
4 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tbsp. chopped mint, fresh
1/3 tbsp. chopped parsley

Cook dzedzadz in 4 cups water until tender. Blend yogurt, water, egg, and flour with beater. Cook until it boils, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Add salt, cooked dzedzadz and remove from heat. Saute onion in butter, add mint and parsley. Then combine with soup. Simmer 5 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Cold yogurt soup (TAHNABOUR) by Aroxy Aykanian

½ cup dzedzadz (hulled wheat)
1 qt. water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
2-3 cups yogurt well beaten, adding water to whatever consistency you wish

Cook wheat in 1 quart water. Be sure wheat is cooked well. After it has cooked awhile, add salt, cool, Add wheat to beaten yogurt.

Chill. Add mint when serving.

You may dilute this with ice cubes instead of water in hot weather.

Serves 4

Yogurt celery soup (MADZOON ABOUR with CELERY)

by Gadar Tanelian

½ cup dzedzadz (hulled wheat)
2½ qts. water
½ cup celery, deveined and finely chopped
½ tbsp. salt
4 cups yogurt
2 tbsp. flour
1 egg
2 cups water
1 lge. or 2 small onions, chopped fine
1 tbsp. dried mint
3½ tbsp. butter

Boil water in 3 quart saucepan and cook wheat. (Approx. 2 hours over medium heat). Add salt and celery. Cook additional 10 minutes. Beat flour, egg and yogurt with 2 cups water. If water in wheat mixture has absorbed add additional water. Strain flour mixture, add to wheat mixing all the time. After it comes to a boil, turn heat lower and keep stirring.

Melt butter in frying pan, then saute onion and brown slightly. Add mint to onions, then add to the cooked ingredients, stirring well. Cook additional 5 minutes over low heat.

Never cover pan or yogurt will curdle.

Serves 6

Lentil soup (VOSPOV ABOUR)

by Simone Arakelian

½ lb. lentils (about 4 cups)
½ cup celery, chopped (opt.)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
2 tbsp. tomato paste
½ cup carrots, chopped
2 med. onions, chopped
2 tsp. flour (for thickening)
2 tbsp. basil, dried and crushed

Wash lentils first, then boil them in a quart (4 cups) of water. When they are partially cooked (Approximately ½ hour), add rest of ingredients and mix well. Cover and simmer another 1/2 hour until all vegetables are tender.

Makes approx. 8 servings

Lentil soup (VOSPOV ABOUR)

by Lucy Tarpinian

10 cups water
3 bouillon cubes, chicken or beef
l cup lentils
salt, pepper to taste
3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. oil
1 med. onion, chopped
1 tbsp. dried mint leaves
1/4 cup thin egg noodles

Bring water to a boil, add bouillon cubes, lentils, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 1/2 hour. Add 1/4 cup egg noodles. Boil and additional 10 minutes.

In frying pan add chopped onion to butter and oil. Saute onion, add mint leaves and stir. Add this to lentils.

Serve hot.

Serves 6

Chick pea soup (SISERR ABOUR)

by Azniv Charkoudian

1/4 cup chick peas soaked overnight
6 cups water
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup split peas (yellow)
1 tsp. salt
pinch of blk. pepper
pinch cayenne
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp. onion, chopped
2 tbsp. shortening

Drain chick peas. Boil water and add all ingredients except 1 tbsp. chopped onion and shortening. Bring to boil again and simmer for 2 hours.

Then saute 1 tbsp, chopped onion in 2 tbsp. shortening and add to soup.

Serves 4

Meatball soup (GELOR ABOUR)

by Ruth Harotian

1 lb. hamburg
2 tbsp. tomato sauce (opt.)
1/4 cup bulghour
1/2 tsp. salt

With a little water mix hamburg, bulghour and salt together. Wet hands and form into little balls. Pour a can of chicken broth in a sauce pan, add one can of water and 2 tbsp. of tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and drop in the meat balls.

Cook 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour.

Serves 4 to 5

Meatball soup (BLOR KUFTA ABOUR)

by Gadar Tanelian

1/2 lb. hamburg
1 Sm. onion (2 tbsp.) chopped fine
1/8 tsp. blk. pepper
dash red pepper
1 qt. water
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. dried mint
2 tbsp. flour

Bring salted water to boil. Mix hamburg, red and black pepper and onion. Roll hamburg in small balls the size of a quarter. Coat balls completely with flour. Add to boiling water.

Cook approx. half hour over medium heat. Melt butter in frying pan. Do not over-brown. Add mint. Now add this mixture to broth stirring in well. Take off heat. Serve hot.

Serves 4

Armenian Soup (HAIGAGAN ABOUR)

by Gadar Tanelian

2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup vermicelli
2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. water

Beat egg, lemon juice and the 2 tbsp. water. Set aside.

Bring broth and water to a boil. Add vermicelli and salt. When cooked, turn heat low. Spoon 4 tablespoons broth into egg mixture, stirring all the time until you get a hot mixture. Now reverse the process. Slowly add the watered down egg mixture into the broth. Stir constantly taking care that broth does not curdle. Turn off heat. Serve hot.

Serves 3-4

Chicken soup (HAV ABOUR)

by Zarie Hanna

Necks, backs, wings and giblets from 2 chickens
1 pkq. dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup rice
2 cups egg noodles
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1-1/2 qts. water

Simmer chicken in water covered for 1 to 2 hours or until the meat falls away from the bones. Strain the broth to remove all the bones Put broth and all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until noodles are tender. Take meat off the bones and add to the soup. Heat and serve.

Tastier if served the following day.

Serves 4

Vegetable soup (PAHNJAREGHEN ABOUR)

by Mari Setian

1 potato
1 small onion
1 cabbage leaf
1 stalk celery
4-5 pieces of green beans
1 sm. can chicken broth
leftover meat
1 carrot
1/4 cup green pepper
1 tbsp. parsley
1 small turnip (Opt)
1 tbsp. peas (Opt)
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/4 cup egg noodles

Clean and dice all above ingredients and put in colander.

Heat 1 small can chicken broth, add 1/2 cup tomato juice. When broth boils, add vegetables and pieces of leftover meat if available. Add orzo egg noodles, if desired. Cook for 1/2 hour and serve.

Serves 2

Beet Soup (GARMEER DAG (JAGENTEGH) ABOUR)

by Azniv Charkoudian

½ cup barley
½ cup split peas
3 beets, diced
Juice of ½ lemon
salt to taste
3/4 cups water to use for desired thickness

Bring water to boil, add ingredients and simmer for at least one hour.

Serves 4

Variation:
1 lb. spinach or
1 small eggplant, cut up, may be used in place of beets.