Hearty Harira Soup

Meaty soups are good all year round, summer included. Or in my case, I was feeling under the weather, and a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup left me incredibly disappointed – I didn’t recall supermarket chicken soup being so…bland, yet tinny. So I decided to make this harira soup and set it to cook in my slow cooker overnight, so I could awake to its hearty aroma. You can also make this soup over the stove.

This recipe calls for boneless lamb, but I got a nice 0.86 lb hunk of lamb shoulder with a large bone in the middle. I cooked with the bone in the soup – just remember to remove it before serving!

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup dried red lentils, washed and rinsed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• ¾ cup celery, diced (about 3 ribs)
• 28oz canned tomatoes, chopped, with juice
• 5 cups chicken stock or water
• ~ ¾ lb boneless lamb rack or shoulder, cut into 1-centimeter dice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp tumeric
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• pinch saffron threads
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
• 4 Tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro

 

Directions

1. In a large pan, sautee onion in olive oil until soft, about 2 minutes.
2. Add lamb, and cook 2-3 minutes until lamb pieces are seared.
3. In a large (6 quart or larger) slow cooker, add chickpeas, lentils, celery, canned tomatoes, chicken stock and water, sugar, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger.  Add the onions and lamb.
4. Stir lightly to combine.
5. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or HIGH for 4-5 hours.
6. Add lemon juice, spinach, and saffron threads. Stir.
7. Serve, with chopped cilantro.

Makes about 3 quarts

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

A couple years ago, I had the best chicken tortilla soup ever at Iguana Cantina in Aruba. I’ve been trying to imitate that recipe ever since. I’ve tried many recipes, sampled other tortilla soups stateside, and nothing has ever come close. There have been soups that were too thin, too brothy, too tomatoey… but alas, I have finally got something as delicious as Iguana’s version!! Here’s a super healthy, thick, flavorful, chicken tortilla soup that’s gluten-free and made without cream! (Insert happy dance here).

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs), cut into large pieces
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped  
• 2 red or orange bell peppers, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 30 oz cannelini beans (two 15 oz cans, drained and rinsed)
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tsp cumin
• 3 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• Optional toppings: corn, avocado, sour cream, tortilla strips

Directions

1. Sautée carrots, celery, bell peppers, onion, and garlic until fragrant and soft. Put into slow cooker.
2. Sautée chicken pieces until brown on all side, about 3-4 minutes. Add to slow cooker.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the slow cooker (except those marked “Optional toppings”)
4. Cook in the slow cooker 8 – 9 hours on LOW or 4 – 5 hours on HIGH.
5. Remove chicken and place in a separate bowl. Shred the chicken.
6. Puree the rest of the soup using an immersion blender, or in a blender.
7. Return chicken to the soup. Add corn if desired.
8. Ladle into bowls, and serve with diced avocado, sour cream, or tortilla strips if desired.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Nothing warms the tummy like a creamy soup. Here’s a thick and creamy soup made without the use of any cream at all! It’s a great, guilt-free soup on a winter’s night. If you want enough for leftovers or some soup to freeze for later, double the recipe. (I definitely wish I had made more soup – it’s so yummy!)

I cooked the squash and shallots separately from the other ingredients. If you’re feeling lazy and don’t want these extra steps, cut the squash into small cubes and dump the uncooked squash and diced shallot into the slow cooker with all the other ingredients. Then cook everything together on HIGH for 4 hours.

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 celery rib, diced
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• dash ground sage
• olive oil
• salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

 

Directions

1. Cut butternut squash into quarters. Coat with olive oil and pepper. Roast at 425°F for about 30 minutes until tender and fragrant. Scoop out the squash flesh and discard the skin.
   
2. Meanwhile, put everything else in a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
3. Sauté diced shallot on high heat for a few minutes until caramelized.
4. Add squash and shallots to the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 1 more hour.
5. Puree the soup in a blender or using an immersion blender.

Serve and enjoy! 

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup

It can still be nippy outside in the Spring….let’s keep making soup! A few weeks ago, I dined at a Nepalese restaurant and had a delicious yellow lentil soup. I was inspired to make my own. But I couldn’t find yellow lentils at the store, only red ones. What’s the difference anyway? It turns out that red lentils are really just a split and hulled version of yellow lentils, and they will turn golden once cooked. So I guess I’m making red-slash-yellow lentil soup. And then I had some trouble finding a Nepalese recipe, so let’s just go with a Moroccan recipe. (Adapted from culinate.com)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 2 cups dried red lentils, washed and rinsed
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

 Directions

1. Wash and rinse lentils until the water runs clear. Unlike larger beans, lentils do not have to be soaked prior to cooking – they cook quite quickly. However, you can soak them for about 1 hour if you wish.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook onions until tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Add garlic, coriander, salt, cumin, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, and cinnamon. Cook for another minute.
4. Add vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil.
5. Pour the mixture into a slow cooker (5- or 6-quart). Add lentils and celery. Cook 4-5 hours on HIGH or 8-10 hours on LOW. If you do not have a slow cooker, finish cooking this soup on the stovetop – it will only take an hour or so. This Moroccan lentil soup smells amazing as it cooks! 
   
6. Add in lemon juice, parsley, and cilantro and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes.This Moroccan lentil soup smells amazing as it cooks!

I like this lentil soup served with crusty bread and garnished with a bit of parsley.