Two of my favorite things in life—caldo (that is, soup) and granada (that is, pomegranate). So, what a mind-expanding experience, for me, to learn that they go together beautifully and that Persian culture has been eating this for many, many generations. We are lucky enough to have a tree in our yard and another hanging over from our neighbor’s yard. So, I’ve learned as that pomegranates are a delight to share. I think one of my warmest memories of early motherhood will always be sitting out in a sunny spot in our yard and sharing a pomegranate with an eager two-year old—the excitement of carefully opening it up and seeing that it’s a good one(!), the joint effort to not waste a single juicy seed, and the rush to gently remove each section fast enough to satisfy our two appetites. But, this beautiful experience takes time and it’s not a meal. The soup, on the other hand, is warming, filling, delicious and quite nutritious.
Ingredients:
1 bulb onion
2 cloves garlic
2 1-inch pieces of fresh turmeric root or 1 tsp turmeric powder
2 celery stalks
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup red lentils AND 1/2 cup mung beans (or 1 cup of either)
1/4 cup barley
1 heaping tsp salt
1 veggie bouillon cube
1 cup tightly packed greens (swiss chard, spinach, collards or kale)
1 tbs thyme
1 pomegranate (½ crushed and put in the soup, ½ fresh as a topping)
Cilantro (as a topping)
Pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Saute onion, garlic, turmeric, celery and cumin
2. Add sauteed mix to pot with lentils, mung beans and barley with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes or until barley is cooked.
Note on Barley: Pearled barley cooks faster, but is less nutritious because it’s been stripped of its bran; Hulled barley takes 20 to 25 minutes longer to cook, but has more nutrition and is considered a whole grain. Read more on the different types of barley and how to cook them here.
3. Add mashed pomegranates and greens. I like to add these ingredients towards the end of the simmer so the greens are just slightly cooked.
Serve hot and top with cilantro, pomegranate and pepper to taste.