Description
A flavorful Moroccan chickpea soup bursting with aromatic spices, tender chickpeas, roasted red peppers, and a hint of preserved lemon, finished with wholewheat couscous for a hearty and comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ras-el-hanout
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 200g roasted red peppers, from a jar
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 preserved lemons, rind chopped (discard the pulp and seeds)
- 1 tbsp clear honey
- 50g wholewheat couscous
Instructions
- Heat oil and cook onion and garlic: Heat the olive oil in a large lidded pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic. Cover with the lid and cook for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through to soften and release their flavors.
- Add spices and chilli: Stir in the deseeded red chilli, grated ginger, cumin, ras-el-hanout, and cinnamon into the pan. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly to toast the spices and release their aromas.
- Add peppers, tomatoes, and stock: Add the jarred roasted red peppers, chopped tomatoes, and vegetable stock to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover with the lid and cook gently for 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Blend soup until smooth: Use a stick blender or transfer to a food processor to blitz the soup until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pan.
- Adjust consistency and add chickpeas and preserved lemon: Add extra liquid (water or stock) if needed to thin the soup to your desired consistency. Stir in the drained chickpeas, chopped preserved lemon rind, and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add couscous and heat through: If eating immediately, add the wholewheat couscous to the soup, stir well, and heat through for 5 minutes until the couscous is tender. If preparing for later, add the couscous just before reheating to keep it from becoming soggy.
Notes
- For extra heat, add a spoonful of harissa paste when adding the spices.
- Substitute cumin with 1 tsp garam masala for a different curry flavor.
- For a meatier dish, fry 4 sliced chorizo sausages with the onion and garlic at the start.
- To keep the preserved lemons fresh, discard the pulp and seeds and only use the chopped rind.
- This soup freezes well; add the couscous only after reheating to avoid mushiness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Keywords: Moroccan chickpea soup, vegetarian soup, spicy chickpea soup, preserved lemon soup, wholewheat couscous soup