recipe exchange

Ancient Babylonian Vegetable Stew

Translated from Yale's Babylonian Collection tablet YBC 4644, this ancient vegetable stew showcases how Mesopotamian cooks worked with simple ingredients to create nourishing dishes. While meat-based recipes often got more attention in historical records, this humble vegetable stew demonstrates that plant-based cooking has been part of human cuisine for millennia.

Prep 00:20
Cook 00:40
Total 01:00
Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 leeks, chopped
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 shallots, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup dried turnips (or fresh, diced)
  • 1 cup lentils, soaked
  • 2 cups beer (ancient-style thick beer, can substitute vegetable broth)
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons oil or butter
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 2 tablespoons sourdough breadcrumbs (for thickening)

Instructions

  1. 1
    Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat
  2. 2
    Add leeks, onion, and shallots to the pot
  3. 3
    Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes
  4. 4
    Add garlic and cook until fragrant
  5. 5
    Add turnips and lentils to the pot
  6. 6
    Pour in the beer and water
  7. 7
    Add salt, cumin, and coriander
  8. 8
    Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer
  9. 9
    Cook until lentils and turnips are tender, about 30-40 minutes
  10. 10
    Add breadcrumbs to thicken the stew
  11. 11
    Stir in chopped cilantro
  12. 12
    Simmer for an additional 5 minutes
  13. 13
    Taste and adjust seasoning as needed
Category
Soups
Cuisine
Middle Eastern
Calories
185 kcal
Protein
8.0 g
Fat
5.0 g
Carbs
28.0 g

Recipe Attribution

The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia

by Jean Bottéro

This recipe is adapted from translations of Yale Babylonian Collection's tablet YBC 4644. The original text was written in cuneiform script on a clay tablet dating to approximately 1750 BCE. Modern measurements and techniques have been added for clarity.