Best Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Beef Soup Recipes

BEST HARIRA (MOROCCAN CHICKPEA & LENTIL SOUP)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pot over medium high heat and brown the beef. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. (Leave the browned bits in the pot, those are going to give our harira tremendous flavor.)
• Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent and they turn golden, 6-8 minutes. Add the celery, garlic and ginger and cook for another two minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, spices preserved lemon and harissa (if using) and let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Return the beef to the pot with the chickpeas and lentils. Add the broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for one hour. Add the rice, cover and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
• Stir in the olives, cilantro and parsley and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and more harissa if you prefer it spicier.
• Garnish with some chopped fresh cilantro and celery leaves. If you like, serve the harira with lemon wedges to squirt in some lemon juice. Harira is traditionally served with a side serving of dried dates.

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 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.

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.

MOROCCAN BEEF AND LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Place chickpeas into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; stir in celery and onions. Saute until vegetables have softened and turned translucent, 6 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer for another 6 minutes. Add 8 cups water, beef, drained chickpeas, lentils, and marrow bone; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
• Combine remaining 1/2 cup water and flour in a small bowl; whisk until paste-like. Pour into the soup with parsley and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 30 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for an additional 20 minutes, adding vermicelli during the last 5 minutes.
• Remove marrow bone and serve.

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-SPICED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Cut enough onion into 1/4-inch dice to measure 1 cup and thinly slice garlic. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb, discarding stalks. Halve bulb and core. Cut enough fennel bulb into 1/4-inch dice to measure 1 1/4 cups. Cut enough zucchini into 1/4-inch dice to measure 1 1/2 cups. Cut enough carrot into 1/4-inch dice to measure 2/3 cup.
• Peel tomato (see below), reserving boiling water and ice water, and seed. Cut enough tomato into 1/4-inch dice to measure 3/4 cup. Add carrot to boiling water and cook 1 minute. Drain carrot in a colander. Transfer carrot to ice water to stop cooking and drain.
• In a large heavy skillet cook onion and garlic in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add fennel, zucchini, and carrot and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add spices and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in tomato and pepper and salt to taste and cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until fennel and carrot are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Keep vegetables warm, partially covered. Vegetables may be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat vegetables with 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
• To peel tomatoes:
• Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. Cut an X in blossom end of each tomato. In a saucepan of boiling water blanch tomatoes 10 seconds. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to ice water to stop cooking. Peel tomatoes.