I like to use dried chickpeas instead of canned for this particular recipe because they create a richer base for the soup.
There are many incredible little shops near my home where I can buy all kinds of Middle Eastern foods. It’s always a treat to browse the aisles of five-gallon buckets filled with every olive and pickle combination imaginable. On the shelves sit rows of brightly-colored spices and specialties like pomegranate syrup and rose petal jam. The bakery area displays fresh pita breads and sheet pans of honey-glazed baklava dusted with ground pistachios. Everything looks so irresistible that I end up staggering out the door with at least a dozen grocery bags. These shopping expeditions are what inspired me to combine Middle Eastern ingredients in a soup. The tahini from one of these stores is worth the splurge, as the flavor is incomparable. The fresh lemon and concentrated sesame of the tahini complement the nubby chickpeas.
Homemade toasted pita chips go well with this soup. Though crispy pita chips have recently become a packaged snack food phenomenon, I still think it’s worth the effort to bake your own. This recipe turns out chips that taste crunchy, salty, and garlicky all at the same time—even when made from day-old pita bread. They are simple to prepare, and take just minutes to bake. I always have to hide them from Paul because he will eat them all before I can serve them. The chips and soup both go well with the Israeli chopped salad and make great dipping crackers for hummus.
I never seem to tire of this soup. Its richness comes from the different types of tomatoes in its base stock. The vegetables load it up with colorful flecks of orange, yellow, and green. It always reminds me of the Sunday afternoons when my mom cooked a large batch of vegetable soup for us to eat all day long. I enjoyed nothing more than sitting at our kitchen table eating bowl after bowl. I ate so much soup that when I stood up and walked, I could hear it swishing in my stomach.
What makes this Greek classic so appealing is its intensely rich chicken broth, infused with lemon juice and zest. It is also enhanced with threads of cooked eggs, vibrant leaves of fresh spinach, and orzo. The soup is definitely a spirit lifter. I always like to see the response when I ladle out a sample for someone who admits to not feeling well. A smile— and an order for an entire bowl—usually follow. I also like to make this soup during Easter because it features eggs.
