NomNom: Moroccan Harira Soup

Now the temperatures are starting to drop even lower to the point it feels like winter, I begin to crave warm, hearty meals. I'm kind of particular when it comes to soups and only take a liking to a few, but this Moroccan soup I'm sharing with you today has become one of my favorite soup recipes I've come across so far.

Now this is one of those type of soups that actually tastes even better the day after, if that's possible. The spice mixture is a wonderful combination of warm and earthy with just a hint of heat and really just works beautifully into this soup. Ultra satisfying and comforting for a cold Autumn/Winter day. Oh yea, did I mention that the soup is also super healthy? Winning on so many levels.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend. Xo.


Ingredients for Ras El Hanout Spice Mixture

8 teaspoons ground cumin
8 teaspoons ground ginger
6 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
6 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 
6 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground 
4 teaspoons coriander 
4 teaspoons cayenne 
4 teaspoons all-spice
4 teaspoons saffron 

Ingredients for Harira Soup (Yields: 2 servings): Adapted from Amy Riolo

1 small yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup lentils, sorted, rinsed, and drained 
1 celery heart, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 cups of low sodium vegetable stock, or water 
1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout spice mixture
1/8 cup medium grain rice
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/8 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/3 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup frozen lima beans, thawed
1 teaspoon tomato paste 


Procedure 
1. Place onions in a large saucepan or stockpot.

2. Add lentils, celery, tomato puree, vegetable stock, and Ras el Hanout spice mixture.

3. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Carefully remove the lid and add rice, cilantro, parsley, chickpeas, lima beans, and tomato paste to the pot.

5. Stir, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until vegetables and rice are tender, and soup has thickened. 

NomNom: Creamy Broccoli Soup

As the temperature starts to drops even more, I yearn for hearty and delicious soups to warm me up. One of my favorites is creamy broccoli soup. I love the creamy yet slight gritty texture of this soup and well when you top it off with cheese and watch it melt into the soup...well, it's game over. An ideal and simple meal for me during cold days would be a delicious sandwich with a bowl of soup, but my tummy would still be content with just this soup alone. Because this soup is meatless, I see this as a great way of incooperating vegetables into my usual meat filled diet. Maybe one of my new years resolution will be to eat more vegetables. Wait, what?

Do you have a favorite soup?

Have a splendid weekend and thanks for stopping by:)

Recipe (adapted from All Recipes)
2 1/2 cups of fresh broccoli
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure 
1. Bring broth to a boil. Add broccoli and onion. Cook for five minutes, or until broccoli is tender. 
2. In a separate bowl, slowly add milk to flour, and mix until well blended. 
3. Stir flour mixture into broth mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until soup is thick and bubbly. Add cheese if desired; stir until melted. Add seasonings and sprinkle with more cheese if desired, and serve.