Chickpea and Lamb Soup

Chickpeas are also known as Turkish peas or lamb peas. In our region, they haven't gained widespread popularity yet, although they are extremely popular in the Middle East and Central Asia. Rarely does Mediterranean cuisine go without chickpeas. Its preparation takes longer than other legumes, but this issue is easily solvable. With its delicate nutty flavor, chickpeas go well with a variety of ingredients, and Turkish peas are very nutritious: they are rich in protein and beneficial fatty acids. They can even be used to make low-calorie popcorn and dietary pancakes from chickpea flour. It is necessary to soak the chickpeas in a large amount of cold water in advance. Otherwise, the cooking process will be endless. By the way, you can soak the chickpeas in advance because soaked chickpeas freeze well, and you can use it later for various dishes: salads, hot dishes, soups.

Rinse the lamb and cut it into large portions. Put it in a pot, add 2 liters of cold water, bring it to a boil, remove the foam, add the prepared chickpeas (about 1 cup), reduce the heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes.

Thinly slice the white cabbage, cut the peeled potatoes into large pieces, julienne the carrots, and thinly slice the onions. Cook the chickpeas and add the vegetables to the pot, simmer for 10 minutes.

Clean the bell peppers, remove the seeds, and julienne them. You can peel the tomatoes or leave them as is, then slice them.

Heat up the kvass. Add kvass, peppers, and tomatoes to the soup. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, then add salt. Finely chop the dill and parsley. Serve the soup very hot (like all lamb dishes) with herbs and sour cream.