“This is hands-down my favorite soup,” says Cyr. “It reminds me of a Moroccan tajine, a savory stew made with vegetables and spices. The name tajine comes from the particular type of roasting dish in which Moroccan stews are cooked. There’s no need to buy any special equipment to make this recipe, but you will want to hunt down harissa, a North African chili paste you can find in most grocery stores nowadays. Be careful, though— it’s hot!” Yields 8 to 10 servings 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 onion, diced 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp celery seeds 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp dried oregano ½ tsp turmeric 1 clove garlic, minced 8 cups vegetable broth 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes 1 (19 oz) can green lentils, rinsed and drained 2 yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and diced 2 carrots, diced 1 Tbsp harissa paste 3 bay leaves Salt and black pepper, to taste In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil, then add the onions and sweat for 4 minutes. Add the mustard seeds, celery seeds, cumin, coriander, oregano, turmeric and garlic. Continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves. Serve hot. Excerpted with permission from The Buddhist Chef, by Jean-Phillippe Cyr. 32
Phoenix Edition
NaturalAZ.com
photo by Samuel Joubert
Hearty Moroccan Soup