21 March 2009

Moroccan Minestrone


If you all are anything like me (cookbook collectors), you have more cookbooks than you know what to do with.  Most of my cookbooks actually sit idle on the shelf as I tend to pull out my favorites time and time again.  They do not get jealous, they sit patiently, waiting for their day in the sun.  Last year I was browsing the Notre Dame bookstore, I was there for my sister's graduation, and picked up Whole Food by Jude Blereau.  It looked really good but ended up as one of those patiently waiting books on my bookshelf.  For kicks, I decided to pick it up recently as I was looking for a fun way to use up chickpeas.  I came upon this wonderfully flavored stew.  I'm not sure why I was so surprised that this recipe was wonderful.  After all, something attracted me to this book in the first place, I guess I had just forgotten it with the thrill of finding some other book to distract me.  This book deserves to be one of my favorites though.  You go book, have your day in the sun and SHINE!

Moroccan Minestrone adapted from Whole Foods by Jude Blereau

Ingredients

1 c. dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, finely sliced
2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. turmeric
1 Tbls. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 c. dried Puy lentils
14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
3 Tbls. tomato paste
2 quarts chicken stock
Cooked brown rice, to serve

Directions:

1.  If you have a pressure cooker, place the soaked beans in it with enough water to cover.  Bring to pressure and cook beans until soft, 30 minutes.  If you don't have a pressure cooker, place the beans in a pot with enough water to cover.  Bring the water to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer and partially cover.  Check the beans periodically to make sure they are still covered with water and cook until soft 1-2 hours.  You will end up with about 3 c. of cooked beans either way.
2.  Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.  Saute the onions and the celery in the olive oil until they are softened and starting to brown.  Add the ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and the cilantro and cook, while stirring, for another minute.
3.  Add the lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato paste and stock.  Cook over medium heat for 45-60 minutes until the lentils are soft.  Adjust the seasonings.  
4.  If desired, serve over cooked brown rice.

35 comments:

Donna-FFW said...

This sounds so delicious!! I love the chickpeas in it and the ginger, great flavors! Your wide variety of recipes always inspires me:)

Meg said...

Look at that yumminess! I definitely have to make this.

Katie Lane said...

Looks yummy, I too have lots of cookbooks I never look at. Someday right.

Finla said...

Wow i had no idea there wasmorocon minestron, i think tthe best part of blogging is you learn new dishes and this one looks really delicious.

grace said...

oh joie, this is fantastic! i enjoy moroccan flavors in any dish, but this soup is particularly appealing. nice find, and at notre dame, no less. :)

Heather S-G said...

This looks so tasty! And you were right down the street from me (I live in South Bend)!!!

Heather said...

wow! what a wonderful flavor combination! i love it!

Chef E said...

I have been hungry for chickpeas of late...even wondered if they would work with Ethiopian and saw they used black eyed peas, so why not!

This looks yummy, so have a bite for me!

Cathy said...

That looks very good! I have 4 shelves of cookbooks and I have 3 regular go to ones and the rest...they sit. But every now and then on a rainy day I curl up with a coffee and bailey's and just flip through them...

Reeni said...

This looks so delicious! Hearty and comforting and I bet it smelled wonderful!

Wandering Coyote said...

Mmmm...that looks so hearty and comforting...

Sophia Lee said...

I know what you mean! I've got tons of cookbooks stocked up, with bookmarked pages that I never got around to! this recipe sounds gorgeous!! I've never tried moroccan food before, but this sounds easy enough to try! thanks for sharing!

Angie's Recipes said...

Me too!! I have bought many cook books, and have also many in PDF, and I just use one or two of them, and if I need a recipe, I actually just google the foodies blog...:-)) but still cannot stop wanting to buy them.....I told my parents-in-law, they can buy me cook books for x'mas and BD. Women...love to collect shoes, cookwares, bags, and cookbooks...haha....

Kiezie said...

I love minestrone and this is a wonderful version!! It looks so good! I am a cookbook collector too and I've finally decided to give those dusty ones a try! :)

Anonymous said...

That is one whole some soup! I love Moroccan food & flavor & had made the vegetarian Harira a while ago. This looks & sounds so much like it.

Alicia Foodycat said...

That looks nutritious and delicious! I like the new look on your blog.

chow and chatter said...

that looks wonderful like your philosophy Rebecca

Anonymous said...

Gosh, not one but two of my favourite things - chickpeas *and* puy lentils - this dish is so up my street! :)

Anonymous said...

very interesting twist on minestrone. i'd love to see what some dried currants or figs could bring to this!

CurryLeaf said...

Wow,the soup looks delicious.Can imagine the moroccan flavours and with chickpeas its enhanced.

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I have over 175 cookbooks. I love everyone of them. I read them like novels. That soup look so tasty.

Anonymous said...

Great soup with chickpeas and sounds like it has wonderful flavor from all the spices!

Trish said...

This DOES look good....I can almost smell the spices...ginger, tumeric....cilantro...all the makings of the best ever dish! What though, are Puy lentils? This I do not know. This looks like a very similar dish to one I make too...and I love vegetarian 'stews'. Beautiful picture too!

Elyse said...

Mmm, this Moroccan Minestrone sounds so fabulous!! I love chickpeas, so I can't wait to try out this recipe. Your blog popped up in my google reader...YAY! I'm so excited that I found it; it's so fabulous! Looking forward to reading more.

Laura in Paris said...

What a great recipe! All those dry grains mixed, I'd love it ... though it sonds to me more of a winter dish and it so warm and nice in Paris these days that I am more tempted by spring vegetables and flavors. Have copied your recipe though in my "recipes" folder.

Anonymous said...

Sounds so tasty! I love chickpeas, but never used it with cilantro leaves, turmeric and cinnamon. It's new to me using these in such dishes. But I absolutely squeeze a lemon in it. Thank you, I'll try.

Robin said...

I do love the flavors in Moroccan food. My mom makes a nice Moroccan chicken. I love cinnamon in anything!

oregonphotography said...

Hi!
I am going to try making your your minestone, however I don't like chickpeas...but, I guess I can substitute with something else.
You have a great blog and I am going to follow it. Best to you!

Thom
BBQing Tips From Deep In The Heart Of Oregon

Anonymous said...

This sounds good...
Question - where do you get the different types of lentils?

Sam said...

Sounds good! I love the Moroccan flavours.

Peter M said...

This is healthy, exotic and delicious. I love the play on Minestrone.

Recipeswap said...

So healthy and delicious looking.

Stash said...

so happy to see one of the most cliche soups made interesting again =D

Mindy said...

I think I'm going to try this recipe this week! Unlike Laura in Paris, our weather in Strasbourg is still cold and rainy...perfect for a soup like this. (And I'm always looking for more chickpea recipes since my two year old is addicted to them!)

And you talking about your cookbooks makes me miss mine. I didn't bring any abroad with me, and I think they're getting lonely back in the States without me. :-)

Mindy said...

So I tried this and loved it! I added a squeeze of lemon juice at the end and really liked what it did to the flavors...

I hope you don't mind, but I reposted the recipe on my blog: http://mindysmouthful.blogspot.com/2009/04/last-salute-to-winter-moroccan.html

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