Pomegranate soup with meatballs

 

Olive oil

3 large onions, 2 roughly diced and 1 ground in a food processor

4 fat garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

3/4 cup dried yellow split peas

2 liters water

1 tsp sea salt flakes

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1 bunch mint, roughly chopped

3 small bunches chives, roughly chopped

1 lb ground lamb or beef

3/4 cup basmati rice

400ml pomegranate juice (or reconstitute from 80-100ml pomegranate molasses + water)

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup sugar, or less 

Make meatballs: combine meat with ground onion, season with salt and pepper, roll into 1.5" meatballs, set aside.

Saute the roughly diced onions, add garlic. Add split peas, water, boil, simmer 30 min.

Add salt, pepper, turmeric, herbs, saute 20 min.

Add meatballs and rice, simmer 30 min.

Add pomegranate juice, molasses, and sugar, simmer 30 min.

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour