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.

Yemeni Oxtail Stew (Shorbat al-Yemeni)

Add a little spice to your winter's evening with Yemen's answer to meat & potatoes stew.Like most stews, this is pretty quick to put together but requires a lengthy cooking time but the results are worth the wait.

Yield:4 Servings
Ingredients:
2 lbs. oxtail, washed and patted dry
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. yemeni hawayji spice mix
1 1/2 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly chopped
8 c water
5 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
2oz. orange juice
zest of 1 small orange

1. Combine the flour with the salt and freshly ground pepper in a plastic bag or bowl .Toss the oxtail in bag or bowl and coat evenly.
2. Heat the butter in a large pot and gently brown the oxtails over low heat.Add the hawayji, onions, and garlic and stir gently till onions are slightly translucent.
3. Add the water,tomatoes, bay leaves, orange juice, and orange zest.Cover and cook for 3-3 1/2 hours till oxtails are tender and meat falls of the bone.
4.Serve with plain rice.

Melokhia (Traditional Egyptian Melokhia Soup)

I was talking with my boyfriend the other night who happens to work in Saudi Arabia and asked him what he was having for lunch.Chicken sandwich with corchorus.Corchorus??He seemed surprised that I did not know what this was.At first I thought he meant cornichons(a kind of pickle)and had misspelled the word but no, he said it looks like spinach.So after much searching, I realized he was talking about a green, leafy vegetable known as melokhia.

Melokhia (corchorus olitoris) is a green,leafy vegetable that is popular in Egypt and countries of the Levant.It is known by several names and spellings such as Jews mallow, mlookheeyeh,mlukhiyya,mulukhiyya,melokheya and of course corchorus.Melokhia is also the name of the national dish of Egypt, a soup that is extremely popular today as was during pharoanic times.Melokhia is also used as a sauce spooned over rice and chicken.

Melokhia is an acquired taste.It tastes like bitter spinach or sorrel when cooked and develops a mucilaginous and viscous texture, like okra. Melokhia requires short cooking time.Because of its mucilaginous texture, the leaves will remain "suspended" in the stock, once they sink to the bottom of the pot, it is overcooked.Melokhia is normally sold fresh in the Middle East but elsewhere is available dried,frozen, or canned from Middle Eastern grocers.


Yield:4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 lb.fresh or frozen melokhia
5 c vegetable or chicken stock
1-2 garlic cloves,crushed
1 Tbsp ghee or olive oil
1-2 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. red pepper,ground
salt and ground black pepper

1. If using fresh melokhia,cut into small pieces and rinse with cold water and set aside. If using frozen, thaw melokhia in cool water,remove and set aside.
2.In a large saucepan, heat the stock and bring to a boil.Stir in the melokhia and simmer for 25 minutes.
3.Meanwhile, in a small pan heat the ghee and add the crushed garlic and fry till slightly brown.Stir in the coriander and red peeper and mix to form a paste.
4.Add the coriander-red pepper paste to the soup and simmer for a while longer (5 minutes).Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Shorba Dajaj bil Loz (Chicken Soup with Rice)

Soups aren't regularly eaten in the Middle East except during the holy month of Ramadan where they are part of the breaking of the fast.Here is a simple Middle Eastern recipe for chicken soup which uses leftover rice.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. skinless chicken strips

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2-3" cinnamon sticks

1 Tbsp. cardamom, ground

2 tsp. salt, more if needed

1/2 tsp. white pepper

2 bay leaves

1 c leftover basmati rice , or any rice

fresh cilantro,finely chopped, for garnish

1. Combine chicken, onions,cinnamon sticks,cardamom, salt, pepper, and bay leaves with 9 cups water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.


2. Reduce heat to medium and cover the pot and keep cooking for another 40 minutes.


3. Remove pot from heat.Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set it aside until cool enough to handle.


4. Strain soup into another pot using a mesh strainer.Discard spices and onion mixture.


5. Once chicken has cooled, gently tear into shreds and add to soup pot along with the leftover rice.


6. Keep cooking for another 15 minutes.


7. Remove from heat. Season with more salt, if desired and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Shorba Libiya (Libyan Soup)

Libyan cuisine is well known for excelling in two things-soups and desserts. Here's a nice soup recipe from Libya which is always served at the start of virtually every meal.It is not only very easy to make but it is very nourishing.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

8 oz boneless beef or lamb, cut into small pieces

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 c water

1 tsp. tomatoe paste

salt

1/2 c pearl barley(or can subs. 7 oz.can chickpeas, rinsed& drained)

1 tbsp.fresh lemon juice

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.Saute the onion and meat for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.Add the parsley and cinnamon.



2. Pour in the water. Add tomatoe paste and salt.Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.Add the barley or chickpeas, if using.Lower the heat and cook for another 45 minutes, or until the barley is tender.Add lemon juice and serve.

Moroccan Bessara

Bessara is a popular fava bean soup from Morocco delicately flavored with cumin and usually finished of with Argan oil. It is a fairly easy soup to put together as it uses some basic ingredients.Though there may be some very slight variations in its ingredients from other recipes because some cooks may substitute it with whatever is on hand like dried green peas for the fava beans and extra-virgin olive oil for the argan oil.Argan oil is made from the nuts of the argan tree which is indigenous to Morocco.This oil is not easy to find here in markets but if by chance you see it , it is a worthwhile investment as it gives the soup a more complex, nutty flavor.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

4 1/2 c water

9 oz dried fava beans or green peas,soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4-1/2 crumbled dried red chili (optional)

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or argan oil

sea salt and black pepper

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, add the beans, garlic, and salt.Reduce the heat and simmer till the beans are soft, maybe 45 minutes.
2. Transfer to a blender and blend with the remaining ingredients.Adjust seasonings if necessary.
3. Serve with a drizzle of oil.