Moroccan Soup Recipes

MOROCCAN LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• In large pot saute; the onions, garlic, and ginger in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes.
• Add the water, lentils, chick peas, white kidney beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, garam masala, cardamom, cayenne pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil for a few minutes then simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer, until the lentils are soft.
• Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir and enjoy!

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur. Add spices and saute a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and 10 grinds fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is shy, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered.
• Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove soup from heat. Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes.
• Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Serve soup, drizzled lightly with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.

CLASSIC MOROCCAN HARIRA: TOMATO, LENTIL, AND CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat up the cooking oil in a 6-quart or larger pressure cooker. Add the meat.
• Cook for a few minutes, stirring to brown all sides.
• Add the pureed tomatoes, kosher salt, turmeric, parsley, cilantro, celery, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, onion, chickpeas, and smen (if using). Stir and add 3 cups of the water.
• Cover tightly and heat over high heat until pressure is achieved. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and release the pressure.
• Add the lentils, tomato paste mixture, and the remaining 8 cups (2 quarts) of water. If at any point there's an oily surface forming on top of the soup, simply skim it off and discard. This can happen because of the meat's fat, if left on.
• Have the rice or vermicelli at hand, if using, but don't add yet.
• Cover the pot and heat the soup over high heat until pressure is achieved. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking. If adding rice, cook the soup on pressure for 30 minutes. Release the pressure and add the rice. Cover and cook with pressure for an additional 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired. If using vermicelli, cook the soup on pressure for 45 minutes. Release the pressure, and add the vermicelli. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the vermicelli is plump and cooked. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired.
• While the soup is cooking, make a soup thickener by mixing together the flour and water.
• Mix well, but if the mixture is not smooth, pass it through a sieve to remove lumps.
• Bring the soup to a full simmer. Slowly, and in a thin stream, pour in 1/4 of the flour mixture. Stir constantly and keep the soup simmering so the flour doesn't stick to the bottom or cooks up in lumps.
• Add another 1/4 of the flour thickener. You will notice the soup beginning to thicken when you've used approximately half the flour mixture. The thickness of harira is up to you.
• Simmer the thickened soup, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes to cook off the taste of the flour. Remove the soup from the heat, serve, and garnish with some chopped parsley. Enjoy.

MOROCCAN ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip all the vegetables and the garlic into a roasting tin. Sprinkle over the ras el hanout and some seasoning, drizzle over the oil and give everything a good stir. Roast for 30-35 mins, turning the vegetables over halfway, until they're tender and starting to caramelise a little.
• Transfer the roasted veg to a large saucepan, pour over the hot stock and simmer for 5 mins. Purée the soup in a food processor, or in the pan with a hand blender, until smooth, then ladle into a flask for work. If eating at home, serve with a dollop of yogurt, a scattering of mint and a grinding of black pepper.

MOROCCAN CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then fry the onion and celery gently for 10 mins until softened, stirring frequently. Tip in the cumin and fry for another min.
• Turn up the heat, then add the stock, tomatoes and chickpeas, plus a good grind of black pepper. Simmer for 8 mins. Throw in broad beans and lemon juice, cook for a further 2 mins. Season to taste, then top with a sprinkling of lemon zest and chopped herbs. Serve with flatbread.

HARIRA (SPICED MOROCCAN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CHICKPEAS, CILANTRO, AND LEMON)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until the onion turns translucent and begin to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin, harissa or chile flakes, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup each of the parsley and cilantro, tomatoes, and the stock or water and bring to a boil. If using the soaked chickpeas, drain them and add to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, then add the lentils, another teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and continue simmering until the chickpeas and lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes more. If using canned chickpeas omit the first 25 minutes of simmering and add with the lentils.
• Whisk the flour, egg, and lemon juice into 2 cups (470 ml) of water. Stir into the soup. Simmer the soup about 5 minutes more and serve, sprinkled with the remaining cilantro and parsley. And don't forget to have some extra harissa in a plate on the side.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Remove the meat from the chicken and discard the skin. Chop the meat into large chunks. Cut the chicken carcass into 2 or 3 pieces and put in a large pot with the chicken broth, leek greens, chunked celery, carrot peels, garlic, cilantro stems and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 6 cups water to cover, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the carcass is falling apart and the broth is flavorful, 20 to 25 minutes. Strain the broth, discarding any solids, and reserve.
• Wipe the pot clean and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks, celery, carrots, zucchini and yellow squash. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the leeks begin to wilt, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the harissa, ras el hanout and tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables, cooking until the spices darken. Add the broth and chickpeas, cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the chopped chicken, cilantro leaves and the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yogurt on top.

MOROCCAN LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Pick over and rinse the lentils and place them in a soup pot with the cold water.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 20 minutes.
• While the lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium sized sauté pan and add the onion, 1/2 tsp salt, and a few pinches of cayenne.
• Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft, 7 - 8 minutes; then add the diced vegetables, another 1/2 tsp of salt, and the spices.
• Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
• Add the vegetables and the tomatoes to the lentils and their broth. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and cayenne.
• Garnish with the cilantro.

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot. Stir in onions; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and parsnips. Cover and cook until vegetables have softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the pumpkin puree and stock. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Ladle soup in batches into a food processor and blend until smooth (or use an immersion blender). If soup is too thick, thin with additional stock. Return pureed soup to the pot and heat through.
• To make the garnish, heat olive oil in a small skillet. Cook garlic and parsley over low heat 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in paprika. Swirl a half teaspoon of garnish on each serving of soup.