Chicken Noodle Soup- Shawrabat Dajaj

This simple soup found in the United Arab Emirates and, no doubt in other Arab Gulf countries, is often made during Ramadan. It is a heavenly soup for those who are enamored with the taste of fresh coriander leaves (cilantro).

SERVES: 8

PREP TIME: 30 minutes

COOKING TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small bunch fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) (about 1/4 lb/125 g), destemmed, thoroughly washed, and drained
• 1 lb (500 g) bone-in chicken pieces
• 2 onions, minced
• 4 cups (1 liter) chicken stock
• 4 cups (1 liter) cold water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 1/2 ounces (100 g) dried vermicelli or very thin spaghetti, broken into small pieces (about 1 cup/100 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 8 lemon or lime wedges, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Finely chop the coriander leaves and set them aside (approximately 2 cups/125 g).
2. In a large saucepan with a lid, combine the chicken, minced onions, coriander leaves, chicken stock, water, salt, and ground black pepper. Bring it to a boil, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour.
3. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the vermicelli and fry it quickly until it browns.
4. Add the fried vermicelli and ground cardamom to the saucepan. Cook for another 5 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
6. Serve the hot soup with lemon or lime wedges on the side.