Soups

In the Middle East, soups are often eaten as a meal in themselves, accompanied by Arab bread or pitta for breakfast, lunch or supper. Vendors sell them in the street in the very early hours on winter mornings to catch those who want to fill themselves up before they get to work. Rich with vegetables, meat, pulses, cereals and rice, they are sometimes indistinguishable from stews, except for the fact that they have very much more liquid. They are often cooked for so long that you can no longer distinguish what is in the pot. Some of the richer soups play a part in the rituals of religious festivals, and are called ‘festive’ or ‘wedding’ soups. A few are Ramadan specials.