Warm Yogurt Soup- Booshala

This warm and hearty soup is a meal on all by itself. Add some nicely toasted french-bread and you are  all set to have a wonderful, healthy and complete meal! (PICTURES COMING SOON!)

1- 2lb container of plain yogurt. Try to use the whole version and not the 2% or fat-free kind
2 Eggs
2 TB of Flour
2 Bell Peppers
3 Celery stalks
1/2 Cup (Basmati Rice)
1 Frozen 10oz package of Chopped Spinach
1 Bunch of Fresh Curly Parsley
1 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro
1 TS Salt

Clean and prepare the parsley by chopping off 1/2 of the bottom of the parsley and drop in a clean sink full of water. Swirl around for a bit, removing any yellow leaves and making sure all the dirt/ mud is gone. Remove from the water and put on a kitchen towel or paper towels to dry. Drain the water. Repeat with the cilantro DO NOT MIX THE PARSLEY AND CILANTRO WHEN DRYING. For this recipe they must stay separate.

In a large bowl empty the contents of the yogurt container but DO NOT throw the container away. Add the 2 eggs and the 2 rounded tablespoons of flour and mix well. Fill the yogurt container full of water and add to the mixture, mix well. Add another yogurt container full of water to the mixture and mix well.

Take out a large stock pot and place a small holed colander on top and slowly pour the mixture through. This is where it is important the mixture has been well incorporated. Slowly, keep adding the mixture and when all done try to push through the items left in the colander and also run your spoon along the underside to make sure you got everything in the pot.

Cut bell pepper in 1 inch cubes and add to pot (SUBSTITUTE: I do not like cooked green bell peppers. I substitute 3-4 stalks of celery at this step; however the bell pepper is the traditional ingredient so I added it here), add 1/2 cup of basmati rice to the pot, chop up the celery and the leaves and add to pot (I love to cut these on a diagonal about an inch in length) and add the frozen spinach. Put this on the stove over med-high to high heat and stir until boiling. YOU MUST CONTINUE TO STIR THE WHOLE TIME! You might get tired, but keep going. If you don't stir the mixture will curdle. To be honest this process can take anywhere from 15min to 30 min so make sure you have a relief pitcher in case your arm feels like it is going to fall off :) (BTW, this is a great way for young kids to help you in the kitchen: sit them on the counter with a long wooden spoon so they don't get too close and let them stir. I grew up doing this and I loved it.)

Once the mixture boils, turn down the heat to med-low and allow it to continue to slowly boil in order to cook the rice. You can stop stirring now so head over and chop up your parsley really well and add it to the soup. DO NOT STIR IT IN. Let it just sit there and allow the soup to return to a boil. At this point the rice should be cooked but fish one out of there and see if it is cooked. Chop up the cilantro and add it to the soup and turn off the heat. Take the pot off the heat and put it on your counter (I have granite so it works perfect. If you don't, just put it on a kitchen towel).  Stir for 5 min and I mean 5 in. Time it! Add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir and dinner is ready!

This soup also tastes better the longer it sits. Serve with toasted french bread and put some cayenne pepper on the table. We usually at 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne to the soup but leave it on the side so people can add as much or as little as they like. Enjoy!!!!