Soups

Moroccan Fruit Soup and variations thereof...

Moroccan Fruit Soup and variations thereof…..

This is a nourishing colorful winter soup which can be served as a meal on its own, with a nice crusty bread and a big green salad.  My inspiration is from a recipe in an out-of-print book called Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookery, which I've never been able to acquire, so what follows are the original directions and then my own variations thereafter.  It is a pretty fast soup to make (<1 hour), especially if you use canned (pre-cooked) beans or chickpeas.

1 medium onion, diced—I use at least 2
2 oz butter or vegetable oil—I use olive oil
4 oz (100g) chick peas or red beans, soaked overnight and drained (I use a whole 15 oz can of chickpeas, which work fine)
4 oz (100g) green lentils, washed and drained (I use a lot more!)
¼ tsp turmeric (more!)
¼ tsp cinnamon (more!)
¼ tsp ground cardamom (more!)
¼ tsp ground cumin (more!)
2 liters water or stock
8 oz mixed chopped dried fruit (apricots, prunes, pears, apples, etc.)
2 oz chopped walnuts (never used this, b/c I thought they might get mushy)
salt and black pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped parsley or mint

Sauté the onion in the butter in a heavy pan until well softened.  Stir in the lentils, chickpeas, and spices and mix well.  Add the water or stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. (If using dried beans or chickpeas, simmer until the beans are tender.) Add the dried fruit and walnuts and season to taste with the salt and pepper.  Leave to cook for 20 minutes more.  Stir in the lemon juice, adjust the seasoning and serve garnished with parsley or mint.  For variations in color, add one peeled and diced beet to the soup at the same time as the water.

The soup is really both sweet and spicy, but if the sweetness bothers you or you need a change, try making it without the fruit and with celery and carrots.  This spice combination really rocks!