Cafe Osharak’s Pochapoor: Armenian Lenten Soup with Red Kidney Beans

2 -16 oz. cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups water or vegetable stock, more to taste

2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped and toasted, more to taste

1-2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Pesto:

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup cilantro

Preparation:

Place a dry frying pan on the stove and preheat it. Add the pasta and stir constantly. (You want the pasta evenly and lightly browned but not burnt.)

Once the pasta is nicely toasted, remove from the pan and let it cool on a plate. Heat the oil in a pot over the medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to stir. After 4-5 minutes, add the minced garlic and cook for a few seconds.

Pour in the beans and add the water or stock. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and let it come to a full boil. Once the soup starts boiling, add the toasted pasta and stir, cover the pot, and cook until the pasta is cooked for 10-20 minutes longer. Add more water or stock as needed. Taste for seasonings and serve.

For Pesto:

On a cutting board, mince the garlic. Next to it, chop the walnuts and cilantro. With your knife: bring garlic, walnuts and cilantro together. With a rocking motion, chop until they are uniformly cut and combined. Serve separately with the soup.

*Orzo is an Italian type of pasta. It is often made from semolina flour, a type of flour that comes from durum wheat. It can also be made from all-purpose or whole wheat flour. None of these are gluten-free, so neither is orzo. Quinoa, arborio rice, wild rice, brown rice, white rice, jasmine rice, corn, green lentils and cauliflower rice are all gluten free-alternatives. See: https://myriadrecipes.com/

This recipe comes from Noune Jihanian, the Armenian food blogger at Cafe Osharak. “At my blog, you’ll find globally-inspired dishes with an emphasis on Armenian and Italian cuisine. ‘Osharak’ is the Armenian word that means ‘the nectar of the fruit,’ typically known as a drink that is refreshing, energizing and colorful. Food doesn’t have to be boring nor does preparing a meal have to be a chore; it can be a creative and relaxing process. The more you cook and experiment in the kitchen, the more you discover the freedom of working with different ingredients — ultimately finding yourself comfortable deviating from the recipe and adapting it to your own tastes. Healthy vegetarian recipes are what I cook most of the time for my family. I am an Armenian native living and working in Colorado, and I am happily married to an Italian from New York. Many of my recipes are handed down from both our families, and have become staples and favorites over the years. To make the vegetable broth richer for this recipe, you can use any vegetables. Diced onions, carrots, and celery are staple vegetables, but I use turnips for this recipe. Feel free to add other hearty vegetables that complement the beans.”

For this recipe, go to: https://www.osharak.com/pochapoor-tail-soup-lenten/

For Armenian recipes, see: https://www.osharak.com/category/armenian_food/

For Lenten or vegan recipes, see:

https://stjohnarmenianchurch.com/categories/fasting

https://mirrorspectator.com/2023/03/15/recipe-corner-lenten-recipes-from-st-john-armenian-apostolic-church-in-san-francisco/

https://mirrorspectator.com/2022/03/31/lenten-recipes-from-st-john-armenian-apostolic-church-in-san-francisco/

https://mirrorspectator.com/2022/03/24/lenten-recipes-from-thearmeniankitchen-com/

https://mirrorspectator.com/2021/03/29/more-lenten-recipes-elise-kazanjians-beet-leaves-with-rice-jaguntegh-yev-purintz/

https://mirrorspectator.com/2021/02/24/recipe-corner-recipe-for-great-lent-medz-bahk-courtesy-of-st-gregory-armenian-church/

https://mirrorspectator.com/2020/06/04/recipe-corner-basoots-dolma-lenten-tolma/

https://mirrorspectator.com/2020/04/23/recipe-corner-mshosh-a-lentil-and-dried-fruit-dish/

https://thearmeniankitchen.com/category/meatless-lenten-dishes/

http://armenianorthodoxy.org/Lent/40%20Recipes%20by%20Varoujan.html

https://armenianweekly.com/2024/02/13/the-lenten-season-2/

https://www.facebook.com/armenianandmiddleeasterncooking

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