Spinach chorba

Method

1. Wash the spinach in two changes of water, strip the leaves from the stalks and shred them coarsely. Grit is the usual fault in this soup, so wash it for longer than you think you need to.
2. Warm the oil in a wide pan and cook the onion over a low heat for eight to ten minutes, until soft and translucent but not coloured. Add the garlic for the last minute.
3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour and the paprika. Over direct heat the paprika scorches and turns bitter in seconds.
4. Return the pan to a low heat and pour in the water gradually, whisking until smooth. Bring it up to the boil.
5. Add the rice, season with salt, and let it simmer uncovered for about twelve minutes.
6. Add the spinach a handful at a time, then cook for another eight to ten minutes, until the rice is tender and the spinach has gone dark. The chorba should coat a spoon thinly, not thickly.
7. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and the parsley, and let it stand for five minutes before serving with bread.