Lebanese Lentil Soup

Wonderful Lebanese Lentil Soup with spinach, garlic, onions and celery.

Serves: 4-6
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups brown or green lentils, prepared and washed
• 7 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic crushed with 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¾ cup onions, chopped
• ½ cup olive oil
• 8 spinach leaves plus a few stalks, chopped finely
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon corn flour / cornstarch (optional)
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped finely
  

Preparation:

• Place the lentils in a saucepan with 7 cups of water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer until tender.

• Brown the onions in oil. Add the chopped spinach and the garlic crushed with salt, and mix well. Sauté slowly until the spinach becomes soft.

• Bring the lentils back to the boil and add the celery and the sautéed mixture. Turn the heat to low and simmer slowly for 5 minutes.

• For a thin soup, mix in the lemon juice and adjust salt to taste. For a thicker soup, mix the corn flour / cornstarch with the lemon juice before adding it to the cooked soup, and then allow soup to simmer for a few minutes longer.

Mamool

Mamool or Ma'amoul is a traditional and common sweet in Lebanon. This mamool recipe is easy and delicious Lebanese dessert that is widely available in Lebanese restaurants.

Mamoul means filled in Arabic. These are very popular in Lebanon but can be found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. They are traditionally shaped as crescents or as pressed cookies and have several variations for the fillings. This one has a walnut filling, but you can use almonds or pistachios too.

How to make mamool recipe?

Ingredients:
2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cups ground walnuts
1 teaspoon rose water
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Preparation:

• Place the semolina flour into a medium bowl, and cut in shortening using a pastry blender or a fork. Pour in boiling water, and mix to form a solid dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for a minute or two to be sure the dough is well blended. Cover dough and let stand for at least one hour, or as long as overnight.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, ground nuts, and rose water so that the mixture is uniform. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Knead dough again briefly, and form into walnut sized balls. Make a hole in the center using your finger. Fill the hole with the nut mixture, and seal the dough up over it. Gently form into balls or crescents, or make designs into the dough using a fork. Place cookies at least 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Dust with confectioners sugar while still warm if desired.
  

Tips:

• Almonds or unsalted pistachios may be used for filling also. If rose water is not available in your area, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon for flavoring.
• There are many variations for shaping these cookies including rectangles rolled into mini jelly rolls, or shape 3 inch rounds from balls, place filling in the center, and fold the sides over to cover, and seal.

Nammoura

Nammoura is a traditional sweet treat that everyone enjoys, especially kids. Nammoura is a common dessert in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine. This nammoura recipe is easy and delicious authentic Lebanese dessert dish that you can find in Lebanese and other middle eastern restaurants. As a tradition, people sell it at small carriages on the streets of some cities in the middle east such as Amman and others.

Ingredients:

• cream of wheat, 14 ounces,
• butter, 1/4 pound melted
• vanilla, 1 1/2 teaspoons,
• baking powder, 1 teaspoon,
• baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoon
• milk, 1 1/2 cups whole
• sugar, 3/4 cup
• almonds, 16 whole raw shelled
• atter recipe, 3 cups cold
  

Preparation:

• Mix well all ingredients except almonds. Pour into pan 9 x 13. Top with almonds (1 per serving, on center).

• Bake at 350 20-30 minutes until golden.

• Pour atter syrup over namoura immediately.

Note: It is important to keep namoura covered to prevent dryness

Nammura

Nammura is a traditional and common sweet in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine. This nammura recipe is easy and delicious authentic Lebanese dessert dish that you can find in Lebanese and other middle eastern restaurants. As a tradition and a famous dessert, people sell it at small carriages on the streets of some cities in the middle east such as Amman an others.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame paste)
• 4 cups semolina or cream of wheat
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup blanched almonds
• 1 cup sweet syrup (Kater)
  

Kater: 3 cups sugar

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup orange blossom water
  

Preparation:

• Nammura: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 13 x 9 inch cake pan with the tahini.
• Mix the semolina, yogurt, sugar, and baking powder.
• Pour the mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the coconut and almonds on top. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Naummura will get too hard if you over bake it so keep a watch over it as oven temps vary.
• When done, cut into small squares while still in the pan. Spoon cold honey syrup over the hot nammura. Let cool to room temperature for one hour, then serve.
  

Kater: combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, and heat over medium until boiling, about 10-15 minutes. Once thickened, add the lemon juice and orange blossom water. Stir and remove from the heat right away. Let cool to room temperature. Always pour cold kater over hot nammura never the other way around.

Makes about 3 dozen small squares. Approximately 137 calories per square.

This dessert is common to the Middle Eastern area. It may be found made with pine nuts as this is quite common. Almonds are used in this recipe and pose a smaller risk for allergic reactions.

Meghli

Meghli is an authentic Lebanese dish. Meghli is served on special occasions, such as the birth of a child.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/1 cups pounded rice
• 8 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp caraway seed
• 1 tbsp anise seed
• 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
  

Preparation:

• Pound rice in a mortar until fine and powdery. Pound spices separately. Mix rice with two cups water. Add sugar, caraway and anise. Add it to the remaining six cups of water, which should be boiling. Add ginger. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture coats the spoon. About an hour of cooking, at least, is required.

• Pour into individual serving dishes. Decorate with blanched almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios and coconut.

Awamat

Awamat is a traditional and common sweet in Lebanon. This awamat recipe or awama is easy and delicious authentic Lebanese dessert dish that you can find it in Lebanese restaurants.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups pastry flour
• 1 qt. yogurt
  
• 1/2 tsp. soda
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil
• Sugar syrup
  

Preparation:

• Sift flour and mix with yogurt and soda. Knead well together. Heat olive oil until almost smoking. Drop dough by the teaspoonful into hot oil. Fry only a few at a time. They quickly rise to the surface, brown, and are ready to be skimmed out of the fat.

• Drain on absorbent paper. When all are fried, dip a few at a time in thin syrup. Serve it hot or cold.

Sfouf

Sfouf is a sweet almond cake from Lebanon. This sfouf recipe is easy and delicious authentic Lebanese dessert dish.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups semolina flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch round baking pan. In a small bowl, mix semolina, flour, turmeric and baking powder. Set aside.

• In a large bowl, stir milk and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add flour mixture and oil and beat with an electric beater at medium speed for 5 minutes. This step is essential, do not use any shortcuts. Pour into a prepared 9 inch round pan. Sprinkle top with pine nuts. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out dry.

Lebanese Dessert Recipes

Enjoy our selection of Authentic Lebanese Dessert Recipes. you will find a variety of delicious and popular desserts served in Lebanese restaurants and commonly used in every house in Lebanon and the surrounding countries in the middle east such as Syrian, Jordan, Arabian Gulf and even in Europe, Australia and the United stated were the Lebanese people are living. I am sure you will enjoy the practice of making some wonderful Lebanese dessert recipes. Ready, Lets start.

Awamat
Barazek
Baklawa (Baklava)
Ghraybeh
Kaak Bi Haleeb (Milk Cakes)
Kashta
Kataif
Katayef
Knafeh
Maamool with Dates
Maamool with Walnuts
Mamool with Pistachios
Mafroukeh
Meghli
Muhallabieh
Milk and Rice (Rez bel haleeb)
Mshabbak
Nummoora
Osmallieh
Sahlab
Sfouf
Znoud Elsit

Lebanese Recipes

Learn the art of cooking delicious homemade Lebanese Recipes. Use the Lebanese formula to cook the best of Lebanese food.

Best of homemade Lebanese Recipes.

Mezze (Appetizers)

Arnabeet Mekleh (Fried Cauliflower)
MAQAALI - Deep Fried Vegetables
Garlic Sauce
Fool Moudammas
Loubieh Bi Zeit (Green Beans in oil)
Lamb brains in butter (Nkha'at mi'leeye)
Bemieh bi Zayt (Okra in Oil)
Waraa' 3inab (stuffed vine leaves)
Muhammara
KIBBEH KBEIBAT
KIBBEH NAYYEH
FALAFEL
HOMMOS BIT'HINEH
Potato Salad

Salads

SALATIT EL MALFOUF - Cabbage Salad
Potato Salad
SALATA HOMMOS
FATTOUSH
TABBOULEH
Salatit El Rahib

Pastries

Samboosik
Spinach Turnovers (Fatayir bi Sabaanikh)
Sfiha (Arab Pizza)

Meat

Stuffed Neck of Lamb - RAQBEH MAHSHIEH
Stuffed Baby Lamb
Broiled Lamb (LAHM MASHWI )
Shish Barak (meat patties with yogurt)
Meatballs
Maakarona Bil Saynieh (Macaroni in the Pan)
Kafta bil Sanieh (Baked Kafta)

Poultry

Shawarma
Shish Tawook
Roast Chicken and Vegetables
Fatteh
Dajaj Mahshi
Fattet Hummos
Little Birds - ASSAFEER

Fish

Fish Stew with Red Pepper (YAKHNIT EL SAMAK EL HAR...
Tajin (Baked Fish)
Fried Fish (SAMAK MAQLI)
Samkeh Harra
Samak Bil Taratur (Baked fish with Tahini Sauce)
Lebanese Broiled Fish (Samak Mashwi)

Stuffed Vegetables

Kousa Mahshi Bi Laban
Kousa Mahshi B'banadoura
Mahshi Bassal - Stuffed Onion Rolls
Stuffed Artichokes - ARDISHAWKI MAHSHI
Malfouf (Stuffed Cabbage)

Stews

Meatball Stew (Dawood Basha)
Okra Stew (YAKHNIT BAAMIEH)
Green Bean Stew (YAKHNIT LOUBIEH)
Artichoke Stew (YAKHNIT EL ARDISHAWKI)
Vegetable Stews - YAKHNIE
Fish Stew (YAKHNIT EL SAMAK)
Tomatoes and Meat ragout (Yakhanet bandorah)
Mlukhieh

Rice

Lebanese Rice and Chicken
Sabanegh wa Riz (Spinach with Rice)
Spicy Rice for Fish (Ruz Lissumak)
Eggplant and rice (Makloobet betenjan)
Rice and Chick peas (Rez bel hummos)
Fava beans and Rice (Rez bel fool)
Rice (Lebanese Method)
Mjaddara

Bread

The Dough (Al ‘ajeen)
Khibbiz Arabi (Pita or Arabic Bread)

Soups

Lentil Soup - SHOURABAT ADAS
Lebanese Lentil Soup
Cooked Laban
Shourbet Ya’teen
Addas bi Hamod

Eggs

Mint and Parsley Omelet ('IGGIT EL NA'NA' WA EL BA...
3ijjit Qarnabit (Cauliflower Omelet)
Shakshouka
Ijjit Kousa (Zucchini & Egg Fritters)

Pickles

Kabees lifet (Pickled Turnips)
Kabees El Qarnabeet
Kabees Mshakkal
Labneh Makbouseh

Sweets

Mshabbak
Mafroukeh
Kashta
Kataif
Katayef
Milk and Rice (Rez bel haleeb)
Nummoora
Osmallieh
Znoud Elsit
Maamool with Dates
Maamool with Walnuts
Mamool with Pistachios
Knafeh
Kaak Bi Haleeb (Milk Cakes)
Ghraybeh
Baklawa (Baklava)
Barazek
Muhallabieh
Sahlab

Beverages

SHARAB EL WARD (Rosewater syrup)
Ahweh Arabi (Lebanese/Turkish Coffee)