Soup for Syria

Early last year a FB post by a personal chef friend caught my eye. She shared about a cookbook being developed to aid food relief efforts for Syrian refugees. I loved the commitment to the food community coming together to show their support for people in need.  I quickly ordered my copy. It took several months to arrive, but since it's arrival it has become one of my favorites. It is a beautiful book full of words and photographs of the people of Syria. Words are important but photographs tell the story on an entirely different level. Photographs make the story real and personal. 

The recipes are as varied as the contributors. So many cuisines are represented in this cookbook. If you are interested in supporting this incredible program, click through on this link, Soup for Syria.

Last night I made a pot of lentil and Swiss chard soup, one of our favorites. Simple yet so very filling. Serve with flat bread and the meal is complete. 

Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup
Serves 4-5

1 cup brown lentils
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
2 lb Swiss chard leaves, finely shredded
1/2 chopped cilantro
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Thin lemon slices and cilantro leaves to garnish

Rinse and pick over the lentils. Place them in a large cooking pot and cover with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for about 40 minutes.

About 5 minutes before the lentils are done, wilt the onion in the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, chard, cilantro, lentils, and all of the cooking liquid. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, lower, lower the heat, and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.

Garnish with the lemon slices and cilantro. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Source: Paula Wolfert, cookbook author; Soup for Syria

Disclaimer: I contacted the publisher seeking approval to use the above recipe. I received no reply. I decided to use the recipe anyway and  give attribution to the cookbook author whose recipe it is.Hopefully I won't land myself in trouble!