• 1/4 cup dried chick peas
• 1/4 cup cracked wheat
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, or other greens such as dandelion or amaranth
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon pureed garlic
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
Preparation:
Place chick peas in a bowl, cover with water by at least 2 inches, and soak overnight.
Drain the chick peas and place in a large saucepan. Rinse the cracked wheat under cold running water, and add to saucepan, along with 2 1/2 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Rinse the lentils under cold running water, and add to chick peas and cracked wheat. Pour in the 4 cups of boiling water, and simmer another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash the chard, cut off the thick stems and finely chop them. Add chopped stems to saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Finely chop the leaves, add them to the saucepan, and simmer an additional 25 minutes. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, pureed garlic and mint, stir well and simmer 5 minutes. Remove soup from the heat, and adjust the seasonings. If soup is too thick, add more boiling water. Serve warm or cold.
