Soup contains vitamins and minerals that stimulate the stomach to produce its digestive juices. Normally, soup is served as an appetizer before a main course, but if the soup contains chicken, meat, vegetables, beans, croutons, or vermicelli, then it can be considered a meal all by itself. Beef and vegetable soup Ingredients: - 1 beef shank, broken into pieces - 2 liters water - 1 medium-sized onion - 3 grains of mastic gum - 2 cloves of cardamom - 3 bay leaves - 1/2 tsp black pepper - 1/2 tsp salt - 2 thin zucchinis - 1/4 kilo peas or green beans - 2 potatoes - 2 tomatoes - 1 bunch of celery Recipe: 1-Soak the beef shank in cold water for 1/4 hour, then wash, immerse in water and heat in a saucepan. 2-Remove any froth that forms, add the onion, gum, cardamom, bay leaves, and a pinch of pepper. Leave to cook on medium heat. 3-Wash vegetables and chop into pieces. 4-After 1/2 hour, remove beef from heat, add salt then strain. 5-Add the chopped vegetables (add the zucchinis and tomatoes first; add the potatoes ideally after another 10 minutes). 6-Put tomatoes in a hot water bath for one minute, then rinse with cold water, slide off their skin, cut into cubes, deseed, and add to the mix. Bring soup to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. 7-Rinse celery, chop, and add to the soup a few minutes before removing from heat. 8-Serve hot with lemon. 8-Cubes of meat can be added to increase nutritional value. Tomato Soup Ingredients: 1/2 kilo ripe tomato 1/4 kilo onion 1 liter stock 1 tbsp ghee 3 grains of mastic gum 1/8 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp salt 4 tbsp fresh cooking cream Recipe: 1-Cut the tomatoes and onions into quarters, add stock, and place mixture in a saucepan. 2-Heat mixture for 1/4 hour, then strain. 3-Melt the ghee in a saucepan, add gum and a pinch of pepper, then add strained tomatoes and onions and a little salt to the hot ghee. 4-Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for five minutes (stock can be added to taste). 5-Add fresh cream, and serve with croutons. Cream of chicken soup Ingredients: 2 tbsp flour 1 liter chicken stock 2 tbsp ghee 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper Half a chicken, boiled and cut into small pieces 2 tbsp fresh cream Recipe: 1- Brown the flour in the ghee and pour in the cold chicken stock all at once while stirring. 2- Add the salt and pepper, and boil on a low flame. Allow to simmer for ten minutes 3- Add the pieces of chicken to the boiling soup. 4- Remove from heat, and add fresh cream, and serve piping hot.
