AD / Surprise your family with this Lesan Al Asfour soup

Arabia, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and many other countries give birth to what is called Middle Eastern cuisine. Even though the names of countries included in the list are limited, the cultural influences on this particular gastronomy are many more.

What do they all share? They take the best of the Mediterranean surroundings. Among its key elements, we can find olives, oils, all kinds of meat and definitely what takes the number one position: spices.

What this cuisine is made of

Middle Eastern food is all about that extra seasoning which you won’t find in any other meal and, of course, it has a long historical aspect behind which paved the way to modernity and what we can find now under this label. In many of these countries, we’re going to find plantations and farming of animals like pork or lamb.

At the same time, and thanks to the geographical position, importing elements from other countries is a given and that also contributes to the many influences this cuisine receives.

As said before, history plays an important role as many ancient religious celebrations are the perfect scenario to try genuine Middle Eastern treats. Ramadan is of course the most important. Because it is directly related to it, fasting from dawn to dusk just deserves a get together and a traditional dish served after.

Back to the basics

Among its most typical dishes, we have falafels, made of chickpeas and herbs; hummus, another chickpeas-based treat and, a non veggie option, called shawarma. No matter what you try, this cuisine always offers flavor-packed meals, it takes flavor to the next level.

Another classic dish, specially during Ramadan, is the Leasan Al Asfour soup. It’s a traditional Egyptian meal for Iftar, that time of the day when people stop fasting and have their first meal for the day. What’s interesting is the name which means “bird’s tongue” and not because it’s made out of our innocent flier friends, but because of the pasta used to make it.

Leasan Al Asfour is made with orzo pasta, a rice-shaped pasta most commonly found in Mediterranean cuisine. This pastina is more and more frequently used and it’s easy to find, but, in case you don’t find it in your local store, you can stock yourself up here: https://riceselect.com/product/orzo.

Traditional Leasan Al Asfour soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of butter.

3 onions.

1 tomato.

2 chicken breasts.

1 ½ cup of orzo pasta.

Salt.

Black pepper.

Cardamom.

Cinnamon sticks.

Bay leaves.

Preparation

1. In a medium-size pan, plan and melt the butter to a low heat as butter easily burns.

2. As the butter melts, wash, peel and half three onions. PLace them over the butter and keep the heat to low. Stir so that they get soaked on the butter.

3. Place two chicken breasts and let them cook. Season with some salt on both sides.

4. Add some black pepper, some cardamom and cinnamon sticks. Add bay leaves as well.

5. Turn the breasts over and cook them until they are browned or golden.

6. Add some previously washed and roughly cut tomatoes and add the water.

7. Now bring the mix to a boil and once it boils, reduce heat and simmer for an extra ten minutes. Take the pieces out, keep the broth and set it aside.

8. Now, in the same pan, melt some more butter and add the orzo pasta. Get it well soaked on the butter and fry it until the orzo grains get that characteristic golden tone. Stir continuously so that it doesn’t burn.

9. Add the whole broth and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer until the orzo pasta is fully cooked.

10. Check the seasoning and add whatever you deem necessary.

Final tips

· You can’t of course skip the seasoning in this recipe, but do feel free to add as many others as you want! That’s the Middle Eastern spirit!

· This recipe takes more steps as the broth is made from scratch. However, you can make it even simpler by using chicken or vegetable flavored cubes in the necessary amount of water.

· Another time-saving tip is making the broth in advance and using it when you want to make and serve the soup.

Enjoy!

*This is a collaborative post