armenian chick pea tomato pasta soup

This is another Armenian soup often made by Isgouhi in the same class as the malanga one, but without a hard to find key ingredient. I got her to dictate this recipe to me 3 different times over the course of a few years, but each version had some variations. The following is a compromise. There is a good reason why this is frequently served. Healthy and tasty. Sorry about the meat.

ingredients

1)

1 c dried chick peas (= 1/2 lb dried) or 1 can wet peas

1 - 1 1/2 lb lamb shoulder or stew meat (even beef)

2 bay leaves

2 t salt

water to cover, plus some

2)

1 lb baby shells (2 c?) precooked al dente

3)

2 T tomato paste (heaping = 3oz)

1 lemon, juice from

water to cover

1/2 t allspice

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t  Middle Eastern red pepper powder

1/2 t salt

4)

1 - 4 T butter

6 cloves garlic, pressed

2 T dried mint

instructions

1. Soak the dried chick peas overnight in water. When ready to make the soup, drain.
2. Bring the meat to a boil in an uncovered pressure cooker with 1 t salt and 1 bay leaf, boil 5 min, and then drain and rinse to eliminate the scum which forms. Discard first bay leaf.
3. Add the chick peas, 1 t salt, and the second bay leaf to the meat in the pressure cooker and just cover with water, plus a little bit. Bring to full steam and cook 15 minutes covered.
4. Mix the tomato paste with a little water in a saucepan and stir in the lemon juice and spices and then pour into the pressure cooker.
5. Bring the soup to a boil uncovered and then add the pasta. Boil 5 minutes uncovered.
6. Meanwhile saute the butter, garlic, and mint separately until the garlic and butter is a light golden brown color.
7. Add to soup and boil 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and serve.

notes

1. This still needs some feedback from the chef. [It took some time...see the 2011 update.]
2. Illustrations available.