Moroccan Chickpea & Carrot Soup (Shorbat Jazzar wa hummus min Maghreb)

I've been meaning to make this soup for a long time but for whatever reason have been finding excuses to put off making it.But I finally got to doing it and regretted not making it sooner as its really easy to put together and is requires about 20 minutes cooking time.If you don't have the Moroccan spice blend, Ras al Hanout on hand, the Saudi spice blend, Baharat is a perfect substitution.

Yield:6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp Ras al Hanout

1 (14.5oz.)low-sodium canned sliced carrots

5 c low-sodium chicken stock or equal parts chicken stock & water

1(14oz.)can chick-peas, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until translucent, about 3 minutes.Add the Ras al Hanout and cook for about 1 minute while stirring.

2.Add the carrots and cook for about 3 minutes.Add the chicken stock and the chick-peas and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.Season with salt and pepper.

3. Remove the soup from the heat and transfer in batches to a blender and blend until smooth.

4.Transfer soup to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro.Serve immediately.