Moroccan Pumpkin Soup

It was a cold grey day yesterday and I was holed up writing, but I was in the mood for soup and I was definitely wanting something creamy. I noticed my friend had some little pumpkins from the Farmer's Market and I decided to make Pumpkin Soup. I was going to make a previously posted version of Curried Butternut Squash Soup, but there wasn't any Curry Powder here. So, I improvised and used some spices that together gave the Pumpkin Soup a Moroccan flavor. I roasted the Pumpkin first and then mashed it together with some browned onions and some Vegetable Broth (Vegetarian Bouillon Cubes and Water). I couldn't find the blender, but the Pumpkin mashed up well and the pieces of Onion gave it a great texture. It was warm and comforting and delicious and warmed me from the inside out!

Moroccan Pumpkin Soup

1 - 2 small Pumpkins (about 2 cups when mashed)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 Onion chopped

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger

pinch of Cayenne Pepper

2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

1/2 teaspoon Paprika for Garnish

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the Pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side up in a roasting pan and drizzle with the Olive Oil and Salt.  Bake for 30 - 45 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and cool. Then scoop the flesh away from the skin and mash (can be done ahead).

In a soup pot, melt the Butter and add in the Onions. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions are browned.  Add in the Cumin, Cinnamon, Ginger and Cayenne and then add in the Pumpkin and Broth. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Serve in a Soup Tureen and sprinkle the top with Paprika. This soup tastes even better the next day, so if you want to store it in the refrigerator, you may need to add a bit more water when you heat it up.

Five Element Analysis

Pumpkins are obviously from the Earth Element because of their bright orange flesh and sweet flavor. It's also good for nourishing the spleen, warming the stomach, regulating your blood sugar and helps clear the skin of rashes!  The Chicken or Vegetable Broth contributes the Wood Element and the Onion, Cumin, Cinnamon and Ginger bring in the Metal Element. The Fire Element is represented but the Cayenne Pepper and Paprika and the Water Element is present because this is a soup. This then is a balanced little bowl of soup!

Lentil Soup with Moroccan Flavors

I'm clearly on a soup kick as my Kidneys need support and today I really felt like making a hearty main dish soup and that usually means using pulses or beans, so I used lentils since Martin likes them so much. He also loves Moroccan flavors so that's how this soup came to be. I usually make lentil soup that has Italian flavors and that's already been posted. So, what constitutes Moroccan flavors?  For me, it is the combination of ground Coriander, Cumin and a hint of Cinnamon. They are warming spices and mixed with lentils, lots of different vegetables and a big squeeze of lemon, it's delicious! This soup is easy to prepare and cooks in one hour.  Martin loved it so this recipe is a keeper.

Lentil Soup with Moroccan Flavors

2 cups of dried Lentils

2 cups diced onion (1 medium)

2 cups diced carrots (about 3)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon ground Coriander

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1 14.5 oz can petite diced Tomatoes

8 - 10 cups Broth or more if needed (Chicken or Vegetable) - I ended up using 12 cups

1 - 2 teaspoons Salt

Fresh ground Pepper

4 cups washed Spinach leaves (grab by the handful)

Juice of 1 large Lemon (about 1/4 cup)

In a large soup pot, heat Olive Oil and add the Onions, Carrots and Garlic.  Cook until onion softens.  Then add in the spices and cook until they darken slight.  Then add in the Tomatoes and 8 - 10 cups of broth and lentils -  cook for 50 minutes.  Taste and add salt and pepper.  Add additional broth or water if needed to thin the soup down so check every 15 minutes. Then add in the Spinach and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice and serve.

Five Element Analysis

Soup by its very nature is a Water food, so this definitely has the Water Element present. But, Lentils are an Earth food and the carrots add even more Earth.  The Onions, Garlic and Spices contribute the Metal Element and the Tomatoes bring in the Fire Element.  The Spinach, Lemon and Chicken Broth add plenty of the Wood Element too.  You might have guessed that this was a balanced soup because it contained so many colors and you'd be right!

Kefta Kabobs

Martin really loves Moroccan and Middle Eastern food so I've been trying to make it for him and last night I made Kefta Kabobs. These are basically Moroccan Hamburgers grilled in a sausage shape, but they are full of herbs, onions and garlic that make them more interesting. They are quite simple to make and are delicious. The meat mixture can be made ahead and then they can be grilled or broiled quickly when you want to serve them.  I broiled them as it was a bit too rainy to get the grill going on the deck. To go with these Kebabs, I made a buttery cumin rice and a salad of Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Onions and served these Kebabs with lots of tart Sumac sprinkled on top, which make them a bit Persian too.  If you like things hot, be sure to serve them with some Harissa, a Moroccan Chili Paste.

Kefta Kabobs

1 ½ pounds ground beef or lamb (or a combination of both)

1 small Onion grated

2 Garlic Cloves minced

1 teaspoon Turmeric

2 teaspoons Salt

1/4 cup chopped Parsley

3 tablespoons chopped Cilantro

1 Tablespoon chopped Mint

½ teaspoon ground Cumin

Optional:  Harissa or other Chili Sauce and Sumac (a dried sour berry condiment) for serving.

Combine all ingredients kneading well.  Then let it sit for one hour or longer in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the kebabs. 

Put oven shelf as close to the broiler as possible then turn on the broiler.  Divide the meat into 12 balls.  Roll each one out into a long sausage shape about 1 inch wide. Put on a baking pan and flatten slightly.  Put the pan into the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes or until the top of the Kebabs are brown. Turn and broil for another 5 minutes.  Serve with Harissa and Sumac.

Five Element Analysis

Beef is from the Earth Element and Lamb belongs to the Fire Element.  The spices and along with the onion and garlic contribute the Metal Element.  The Harissa brings in more of the Fire Element and the Sumac, being sour adds the Wood Element and the herbs bring in even more. Only the Water Element is missing so serving this main dish with an Eggplant side dish would be good and/or a dish with Chickpeas would also create a Five Element balance.

Harira - Moroccan Chicken and Chickpea Soup

My students really loved the Moroccan spices in this mysterious soup. The light scent of cinnamon and ginger whetted their appetites and there wasn't a single chickpea left at the end of lunch. This soup is commonly served all over the Arab world and is particularly popular as the soup served at night during Ramadan. It's quite easy to make if you use canned chickpeas, but I think that soaking and cooking the chickpeas ahead of time is just as easy and the texture of the chickpeas is much better.  Otherwise, it comes together very quickly.  This soup often contains lentils and noodles and is sometimes thickened with flour.  I like it better this way and I learned to make it from one of my Muslim friends. It is a deliciously exotic soup and if you crave the flavors of Morocco, this is a soup for you!

Harira - Moroccan Chicken and Chickpea Soup

1 pound boneless chicken thighs cut into small pieces

1 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight in water and cooked for 2 hour (or

1 can of chickpeas, drained)

8 - 10 cups chicken broth

2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into small pieces

2 stalks celery, trimmed and cut into small pieces

1 large red onion, diced

6 Roma Tomatoes, stem end removed and cut into a small dice

3 Tablespoons Butter

Handful of parsley leaves

Handful of cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

pinch of Saffron or ½ teaspoon Turmeric

¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add in the saffron (if using or Turmeric), cinnamon and ginger.  Stir and add in the chicken, onions, celery and carrots and cook until they become softened and the chicken becomes opaque. Add in the tomatoes, the chicken broth and the parsley and cilantro. Cook for ½ hour and check salt, adding some if necessary and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.  Serve with toasted flat bread.

Five Element Analysis

This is a broth-based soup so it is Watery by nature. The chicken and the chicken broth bring in the Wood Element along with the celery.  The Tomatoes and Cayenne Pepper contribute the Fire Element.  The Carrots and Chickpeas make sure that the Earth Element is represented and the Onions, herbs and spices bring in the Metal Element too. This then is a fully balanced Five Element soup!

Chicken and Onion Tagine

I made Moroccan food for my friend's party this last weekend and a few of the dishes turned out so well that I have to share them with you. I'm a big fan of stew as long slow cooking brings out some amazing flavors. Stew is comfort food for me and for a party, a stew also allows you to make it ahead of time so there isn't so much last minute craziness. You just heat and serve. And as most of you know, stew gets better after it sits in the fridge for a day or two and that time allows the flavors to meld. This particular dish was based on two recipes - one from Epicurious and one from Saveur Magazine but I adapted it to what I had on hand and one of the biggest changes was using Meyer Lemons as my friend has a big tree full of fruit in her yard. I also added the rind as it is quite flavorful and much less bitter than regular lemons. This stew, or Tagine, as the Moroccans and Tunisians call it was my favorite dish and I could eat this one all the time. I think you will like it too.

Chicken and Onion Tagine

1 Tbsp salt + 1 tsp salt

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped  

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika  

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp saffron threads soaked in a small amount of water 

6 Tbsp Olive Oil  

8 whole chicken legs (thighs and legs cut into pieces and skin removed)

4 medium onions - yellow and red, cut into 12 pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

Juice and grated rind of 1 large or 2 medium Meyer Lemons

For Garnish: 1 cup pitted green olives  

Chopped Cilantro Leaves

Cooked Rice

Mix together the salt and garlic in a mortar and mix together with the pestle until it becomes a paste.  Add cumin, paprika, and turmeric and mix thoroughly. Stir in 3 Tbsps of oil then add to a large bowl containing the chicken and mix until coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to overnight to marinate. 

When ready to cook, heat remaining 3 Tbsps of oil in a large pot on high heat. Working in batches, add chicken pieces, and cook, turning one time until brown on both sides, then put each on a plate until all are done. Then lower the heat slightly and add the saffron and onions to the pot, season with one teaspoon of salt and some pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Return the chicken to pot along with lemon juice and lemon rind and 1 cup of water, and bring to a boil.  Then, reduce heat and cook with the cover on for one hour. Put into a large bowl and sprinkle the olives and cilantro on top.  Serve with steamed white rice.

Five Element Analysis

Chicken belongs to the Wood Element and the olives and the lemon juice and rind add even more so this dish is fundamentally Wood.  The long cooked onions represent the Earth Element and it is a stew, which is an Earthy way to cook, so that element is strong too.  The spices and garlic bring in the Metal Element, but the Fire Element only has pepper to represent it so be sure to serve it with Harissa and the Water Element is missing so bring that in with another dish that is Watery, like Eggplant to create a balanced meal.