Gluten-Free Ima Soup-A Lebanese Traditional Soup

Ingredients

- 300 grams ground beef or lamb

- 2 tbsp. chopped parsley

- 1 small onion, grated

- ½ tsp salt

- Freshly ground black pepper

- Pinch of nutmeg

- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (I use canola)

- 1 medium onion, diced

- 50 grams gluten-free vermicelli or broken noodles

- 1 can chopped tomatoes (400 grams)

- 500 ml water or gluten-free chicken stock

- ½ tsp salt

- More black pepper and nutmeg

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 1 bay leaf

- Parsley for garnish

Method

1. Put the ground meat in a bowl.
2. Add to it the grated onion, chopped parsley, ½ tsp salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Mix the meat with the other ingredients very well and shape them into small balls.
4. Put the oil in a saucepan and add the diced onions.
5. Cook the onions for few minutes until translucent and soft.
6. Add the meatballs to the onions and make sure that the meatballs are cooked from all sides.
7. Once the meatballs are cooked, add the chopped tomatoes, stock or water, more salt, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf.
8. Let the soup simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, put one tablespoon of canola oil in a frying pan and toast the vermicelli until golden brown.
10. Add the toasted vermicelli and stir well into the soup.
11. Let the soup simmer for 10 more minutes.
12. Serve the soup in a bowl and garnish with parsley leaves.
13. Serve with toasted gluten-free white loaf bread.

Yields: 2 portions