Reshtayeh is a brown lentil soup with bright lemony notes. It is very good soup for vegetarians. 

Lentils are a very famous ingredient in the Syrian and Mediterranean recipes. They are cheap, easy to cook and filling.

This soup contains a variety of vegetables with the lentils like potato, Chard and celery. So it is low in calories, rich in iron, folate and an excellent source of protein. Chard is an excellent source of potassium, calcium and magnesium, minerals that help maintain healthy blood pressure.

The uniqueness of this soup lies in the intense lemony taste. It is not cooked in a lemon broth, but the most authentic thing to do when eating this dish is to add loads of lemon juice to your bowl.

Mufarakeh is one of the generic names of various vegetable dishes.  Some dishes are vegetarian like Mufaraket Kusa (courgettes mufarakah), some use eggs, and some are cooked with ground meat. The only common factor is the simplicity of these dishes. They are usually easy to make, quick, simple.

The word Mufarakeh could be roughly translated to rubbed or massaged.

Potato Mufarakeh is a simple dish of potatoes, onions and minced meat. Traditionally the potato is cut into small cubes, fried and cooked with the meat in a pot. The result is a yummy dish but not great looking.

Syrian pickle (Mukhlal ) are those neon-pink turnip slices you find on every Syrian table. The gorgeous pink color comes from a small beet, tucked into the jar with the turnips.

Syrian pickle is a perfect complement to all middle eastern fare. It is another wonderful recipe from the land of Syrians. The crunchy, tangy and slightly sweet veggies are so enticing and help you delve deeper into the rich culinary traditions of the middle east region. Served with most appetizers, grilled chicken, kebabs, Falafel sandwiches, shawarma, smoked meat and fish, these Syrian pickles are popularly known as Shawarma Pickles or Arabic pickles.

Syrian food is quite versatile and easy to prepare. Hummus, Toum (garlic), Mediteraanean style vegetable salad, arabic Bread, Shawarma, Falafel all are popular.  Syrian pickle can be prepared with various vegetables like beetroot, carrot, cucumber, radish, turnip and carrot.

Have you ever tried dates as a filling for coffee cakes?

Adding a layer of date paste infused with spices between the layers of batter lends a unique taste and texture to the baked cake making it extra moist. Add the nutty crunch of the walnut topping ,and the result is an irresistible blend of cake meets maamoul that you just have to try!

Maamoul is THE cookie in Syria and the Levant for Eid, Easter, Christmas and celebrations. It is usually filled with spice infused date paste or with cinnamon scented walnuts. This cake is sort of a play on those flavors but in cake form. It is so much easier to make, it requires a fraction of the time it would take you to make maamoul, and the best part is that it hits the same flavor notes.

Syrian people are very fond of stuffed vegetables or dolmas . Stuffed tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and eggplants are the year round favorites and during the fasting period of Lent, and on Good Friday among syrians. Cabbage leaves are stuffed in winter and vine leaves and zucchini flowers herald a fresh option in spring time. The success of any great dolma, which literally means “stuffed”, relies heavily on getting the stuffing right,with a dollop of yoghurt or a slice of lemon aside, they are utterly delicious.

Stuffed chard is a vegetarian option,  with aromatic rice and herb filling, they need to soften up first then can be stuffed. It is a  hearty dish with a northern Syrian addition of  Syrian hot pepper paste sauce.