Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup
Rated 3.3 stars by 10 users
Category
Soup
Cuisine
Moroccan
Author:
Susan Turner
Servings
6-8
Inspired by a Moroccan tagine, this soup delights with its dynamic flavors ranging from earthy and aromatic to sweet and sour. It makes a lovely lunch, but if you want a more substantial meal, serve the soup over couscous and top it with roasted chicken slices and chopped green olives. (Using store-bought rotisserie chicken is fine!) Home cooked chickpeas deliver the best flavor and texture but canned chick-peas will work (you’ll need about 3 cups).
Ingredients
For the chickpeas:
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1 cup dried chickpeas
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4 cloves of garlic, peeled
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½ large onion
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1 bay leaf
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2 long red peppers, whole
For the soup:
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1 large red onion, chopped
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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3 tablespoons Rose Harissa
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1 heaping tablespoon of Ras el Hanout or ground turmeric
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½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
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3 cloves garlic, chopped
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1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
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½ cup dried apricots, chopped
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1 cup crushed tomatoes
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1 whole preserved lemon, rinsed, seeds removed, and chopped fine (about ½ cup)
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10 cups seasoned vegetable or chicken bone broth
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1 cup dried French green or black lentils, rinsed
Serving 'extras' (optional):
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2 cups cooked couscous
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2 cups sliced roasted chicken
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1 cup green olives, such as Casteleveno, pitted and chopped
Directions
Cook the chickpeas
Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water overnight or for 6-8 hours minimum. They will double in bulk.
Drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a large, heavy saucepan.
Add the garlic, onion, bay leaf, and long pepper, followed by enough fresh water to cover the chickpeas by 2 inches.
Set the heat to medium-high, bring the water to a boil, and skim off any foam. Reduce the heat so that the water is simmering steadily and cook until the chickpeas are very tender, 30-40 minutes.
Make the soup
Put the vegetable or chicken broth into a soup pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Add the lentils and cook until they are tender, 10-12 minutes; adjust the heat if necessary to avoid boiling the lentils.
While the lentils cook, put the onion and oil into a skillet set over medium heat; cook until the onions begin to soften. Stir in the Rose Harissa, Ras el Hanout (or ground turmeric), sea salt, garlic, and vinegar and cook for about a minute. Add the dried apricots and crushed tomato and cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens, another 7-9 minutes. If the pan gets dry while the mixture cooks, add a splash of water or brother to keep it from scorching. Set this spiced ‘sauce’ aside.
Drain the chickpeas (home-cooked or canned) and add them to the lentils, followed by the spiced sauce, and half of the chopped preserved lemon. Cook for another 10-12 minutes, allowing the flavors to harmonize. Taste the soup, adding more salt or vinegar, if needed.
To serve
Top each bowl of soup with some of the remaining preserved lemon. Or, if adding the ‘extras’, put ½ cup of couscous into each bowl and ladle the soup over it. Garnish with the sliced chicken, followed by some chopped green olives and some preserved lemon.
Recipe Note
Chickpea cook time will vary depending on the beans' freshness and the water's pH. The chickpeas can be cooked a day or two ahead. Store them in their cooking water, covered and refrigerated.
Hi Margie, Susan from the Curio Kitchen, here! Thanks for your kind words and we’re so happy that the recipe has become a family favorite!
I LOVE this recipe! I have made it several times and it is now a family favorite! Perfect for winter meals.
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