HOT SOUP: This soup should be satisfying for the lamb lovers out there.

LAMB SOUP WITH CHICK PEAS AND LENTILS:

½ cup dry chick peas   +  2/3 cup lentils, rinsed and picked-over

½ lb. boneless lamb                                        

1 tbsp. butter + 1 tbsp. olive oil                                              

vegetables:

    3 celery stalks and leaves, minced

    2 onions, minced                                        

    2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

    1/3 cup parsley, minced                              

    2 tbsp. minced fresh coriander

spice mix:

    1/8 tsp. powdered saffron                           

    2 ½ tsp. ground gingers

    2 tsp. cinnamon                                          

    1 ½ tsp. turmeric

salt and freshly-ground pepper                       

6 cups water

2 eggs  beaten with 3 ½ tbsp. lemon juice

Soak chick-peas in cold water overnight. Drain and reserve.

Cut lamb into julienne strips and brown in butter and olive oil mixture for 1 to 2 minutes. Add vegetables and the spice mix and cook mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add water, reserved chick-peas and lentils. Cover and bring soup to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook soup for 1 hour, or until chick-peas and lentils are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add egg and lemon juice  mixture to the simmering soup in a stream, whisking constantly, and cook until soup comes back to a boil. Ladle soup into heated bowls to serve.