Lettuce ciorbă with omelet

Ingredients

• 1.5 liters of water
• 100 g of smoked ham, bacon, or other cured meat
• 2 large onions
• 5 eggs
• 2 heads of lettuce (or an equivalent amount in leaves)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• dill
• lemon
• Sour cream
• salt, pepper, paprika (optional)

Heat 3 to 4 cups of water in a small saucepan.

In a large pot, brown the ground meat in the oil, then drain it on paper towels.

Sauté the chopped onions in the stockpot until they are translucent. Then, add 2 cloves of garlic.

Optional: After 30 seconds, add the flour and the hot water from the small saucepan, stirring constantly, to create a thicker soup.

Add the remaining water, spices, and chopped lettuce, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

While that’s happening, prepare a simple, lightly cooked, and uncoloured omelette made with 2 eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cut it into 1 cm cubes or strips, and add it to the soup.

In a bowl, combine 2 eggs, cream, dill, and 1 crushed garlic clove. Gradually whisk in a few ladlefuls of hot soup until well combined. Then, pour the mixture into the stockpot (or pour it directly into the pot while stirring vigorously – the eggs will form strands).

Add the cooked ham and the juice of half a lemon, and cook for another 10 minutes.