North African Vegetable Soup Recipes

NORTH AFRICAN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Bring water, chickpeas, and cinnamon stick to boil in a 6-quart stockpot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until cinnamon stick uncurls.
• While chickpeas simmer, heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, chili, onions, and carrots. Saute, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.
• When the cinnamon stick uncurls, transfer sauteed vegetables to the stockpot along with sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and turmeric. Simmer covered for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes and cauliflower are tender.
• Add the mustard greens and continue to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until bright green. Stir in the basil and salt. Adjust the seasonings if desired.
• Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve.

NORTH AFRICAN SOUP (VEGETARIAN)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven type pan over medium heat. Fry the onions until tender in the olive oil.
• Stir in the paprika. Add about 1 cup water to prevent onions and paprika from burning.
• Add carrots, garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes, cilantro (or parsley), turmeric and cinnamon and more water to cover.
• Simmer until the carrots begin to get slightly tender; add the potatoes and more water, if necessary, to cover. Simmer for about 1/2 hour.
• Add garbanzo beans and lemon juice. Adjust the amount of broth by adding more water if necessary. Simmer until beans are heated through.
• Adjust flavor by adding salt and pepper, if needed.
• Divide between 2 large bowls and garnish with cilantro or parsley.

NORTH AFRICAN VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a soup pot, saute the onions and celery in the oil until onions are translucent.
• Add the spices, potatoes, and carrots and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often.
• Mix in the tomatoes, tomato juice and stock and simmer until all of the vegetables are almost tender.
• Add the zucchini and vermicelli and simmer for about 5 minutes longer.
• Mix in the chick peas, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
• Garnish with chopped parsley, mint leaves, and strips of red bell pepper or pimiento.

NORTH AFRICAN BEAN AND SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Drain the soaked chick peas and set aside. Tie half the cilantro sprigs into a bundle with the dried red chili, and chop the rest. Set aside the chopped cilantro.
• Heat the oil in a large bean pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onions and carrots. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt, the garlic, paprika, and turmeric. Stir together for about a minute, until fragrant, and add the tomatoes, and their juice. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and the mixture is fragrant. Add the beans and water and bring to a boil. Add the cilantro bundle, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Add the squash, a generous amount of salt, and the harissa or cayenne, and continue to simmer for another hour. Taste and adjust salt. Add the vermicelli and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the cilantro bundle. Stir in the remaining cilantro and the mint, adjust salt and serve. Garnish with lemon wedges.

NORTH AFRICAN BEAN STEW WITH BARLEY AND WINTER SQUASH

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and cook leeks until they begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Finely chop cilantro stems. Stir into pot, along with diced fennel and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in baharat, cinnamon and tomato paste, and cook until paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in broth, 3 cups water, the barley and the salt. Bring to a gentle boil, stir in saffron, if using, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Stir in beans, squash, turnip and lentils; cook until barley is tender, about another 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Remove cinnamon stick.
• Ladle stew into bowls. Spoon a dollop of yogurt on top and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with cilantro leaves, fennel fronds and Aleppo pepper or paprika.

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.