Seasonal Recipes

Moroccan Spiced Soup (from 300 Best Potato Recipes)

I am not sure you would experience a soup exactly like this in North Africa, but certainly the spice mix is common. These spices are among those in a classic Moroccan spice blend called ras el hanout, which means "head of the shop." When this is cooking, your kitchen will smell amazing.

1/4 cup olive oil (approx.)
2 stalks celery, trimmed an chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely choppped
Spice Blend (see below)
1 can (28 ox/796 mL) tomatoes, with juice, coarsley chopped
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 large all-purpose potatoes (about 1 lb/500g), scrubbed and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cunks
Salt (optional)
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Spice Blend: Combine 2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg, cardamom, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper, and a pinch of ground cloves in a small bowl. Stir well.