Mushroom-Cabbage Soup
1/3 cup moong dal (Indian Split Lentil - the original called for barley)
2 cups homemade vegetable broth
2 cups water (if using store bought broth use 4 cups broth and no water)1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onions, diced
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces portobello or brown mushrooms, halved if large and sliced
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
salt to taste
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/4 cup white wine chicken broth
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup beef, pre-cooked and diced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 can garbanzo beans, drained & rinced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Add the vegetable broth and water to a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the moong dal and cover.
While the dal is cooking, cook the onion and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until it softens and begins to brown. Once it's beginning to brown, add the garlic, shallot and mushrooms and a little salt and pepper, reduce the heat, cover, and cook, stirring regularly, until mushrooms soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme and white wine chicken broth and cook until the broth is reduced.
Add the mushrooms to the pot along with the sliced cabbage, beef, and paprika. If there are dried bits in the skillet, use a little water or broth to deglaze it, and add that to the pot too. Add the beans. Add more water until everything is submerged. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until the cabbage is tender, adding extra water if it gets too thick.
Stir in the lemon juice just before serving and add more salt and pepper to taste.