Spicy Steel-Cut Oat Soup (Lahshou) Recipe

Posted on 16th of July, 2010 by Lévana

This is a most unusual combination of flavors, and it works beautifully. We serve it after the fast of Tish’a B’Av. When we were children, we were often given this soup to fortify our diet. We made it with wheat or barley, but steel-cut oats are just as delicious, accommodate gluten-free diets and are ready in no time. I have no doubt the mere funky Arabic name will bring a smile to quite a few cyberfriends out there! I have listed only dry herbs, because I was hoping you would make it, as we did in my native Morocco, for breakfast, when we need to use our time most judiciously, and the soup ends up getting ready in just a few minutes, a whole gallon of it (don’t divide it: It freezes beautifully!) But of course if you happen to have the fresh herbs on hand and a little more time, by all means use them.
Fenugreek (Halba) is easy to find in the spice section or in health food store, and is the essential ingredient in this soup, so be sure not to skip it!

Ingredients:

3 quarts water

1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats, or millet, or any other coarse-cut grain

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons ground fenugreek

8 cloves garlic

1/4 cup dry cilantro

1/4 cup dry parsley

1/4 cup dry mint (attention, dear middle-eastern friends: Look for flayo, dry or fresh, a wild variety of mint, also called Zuta levana, at your food markets: I found it at the Shuk in Jerusalem: it’s fabulous, either as a tea or in cooking)

1 tablespoon turmeric

Good pinch red pepper flakes

Directions:

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium, and cook, covered, 30 minutes. Adjust the texture and seasonings. Makes a dozen ample servings

Filed under: Gluten Free Recipes, Kosher Recipes, Moroccan Recipes, Pareve Recipes, Soup Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes