Iraqi Shorba

Ingredients

One or two large onions, chopped
Several cloves of garlic
One Large Tomato, chopped
Olive Oil
Dried Lemon (optional)
One 6oz can of tomato paste
Salt, pepper, hot pepper (optional), preferred spices
Your choice(choose ONE) of vegetable: okra
yellow and/or zuchini squash
spinach
green peas
other...
Your choice of either beef or lamb, cubed or on the bone
(at least one pound, but you can make due without meat)



Instructions

*Fry onions in olive oil over medium heat until they are transparent.
* Add garlic (chopped or whole) and fry gently for a few minutes.
*Add cubed meat, salt, pepper, and spices and brown.
*Add the tomato and dried lemon
*Add water (enough to well cover the meat) and cover pot.
*Add tomato paste
*Boil for two or three hours, or until meat is tender
(using a pressure cooker reduces the time for the meat!!!)
*Add your chopped or cubed vegetable and boil until a thick stew.
**Note: You will definetly have to keep adding more water to
the pot, make sure your shorba doesn't boil down and burn!


Serving Suggestions

*over pita/Arabic bread in a large serving bowl.
*eat with pita or arabic bread instead of a spoon.
*serve over saffron or long-grained rice