Nevik Soup? Why not?

How many of you made Nevik for Armenian Christmas Eve this year?


In keeping with the season, I went to a new farmer’s market on the morning of Jan. 5^th and bought the most incredible bunch of Swiss chard I’d ever seen. It was so huge I had to carry it with two arms, just as you would carry two dozen long-stemmed roses.


When it was time to prepare the Nevik, I trimmed away the thick stems, washed each enormous leaf separately to make sure any sandy grit was completely washed away. I cut the leaves into manageable, bite-sized pieces, rinsed them again, and spun them dry in my ever-so-handy salad spinner. I made the Nevik as usual, but was surprised to see so little final product in the pot. It’s amazing how such an enormous amount on chard can cook down into almost nothing! It looked like a bunch of chick peas with a hint of chard. That just wasn’t going to do!

Are you familiar with the phrase, “Necessity is the mother of invention”? While examining my meager pot of Nevik, I came up with a plan, and created Nevik Soup.

Nevik Soup!

Here’s what I did…

1 medium, finely chopped onion and 1 clove minced garlic which were sautéed in olive oil

1-32 oz. box of reduced sodium beef broth -and-
about 4 Tbsp. tomato paste