Weekend Inspiration - Moroccan Soup With Spicy Beef Meatballs
I’ve been preparing three meals a day for 43 years and counting. Some days, I wished someone would tell me what they felt like for supper or suggest a change. Sharing these moments makes cooking more meaningful and fosters connection.
I mentioned a Moroccan Soup in my previous blog when Butch and I enjoyed our picnic in the snow. Many of you asked for the recipe, and I hope sharing it here inspires you to try making it yourself.
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MOROCCAN SOUP WITH SPICY BEEF MEATBALLS
To make a vegetarian soup without the meatballs, use vegetable stock instead of beef stock. Experiment with different ingredients to make the dish your own.
45ml Olive Oil
60ml butter
2 large onions, chopped
4 leeks, sliced (optional)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 red chillies, chopped, deseeded and deveined for a milder burn
10ml grated fresh ginger
5ml turmeric (if you can find fresh turmeric, that’s always better)
(I buy the prepared ginger, garlic, and chilli we have in most grocery stores and use those; they’re so convenient)
15ml smoked paprika
5ml chilli flakes
10ml ground cumin
10ml curry powder
1 large tin whole tomatoes, crushed
2 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
4 grated carrots
500ml butternut, cubed
4 celery sticks, sliced
1 bunch of chopped parsley (keep a few sprigs for garnishing)
1 large handful of cilantro, chopped
1.5 litres beef stock (use generous scoops of powdered stock powder and make according to instructions, e.g. 5ml of stock powder for every 250ml water. My teaspoons are large, old-fashioned ones, and I do heap them!)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tin chickpeas (soak chickpeas overnight if you’re using dried)
1 cup lentils
Or 1 cup black-eyed beans (I used these) (soak overnight if you’re using dried beans)
Anglicise all this with a good splash of Worcestershire sauce!
2 lemons quartered
Chopped spinach or kale
Method:
- Melt the butter, add the oil, and sauté the chopped onions until caramelised.
- Add the garlic, chilli and ginger; sauté.
- Add the spices; stir-fry for a minute to release the oils and heighten the flavours.
- Add all the vegetables. Stir-fry once more.
- Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and lemon
- Add the chickpeas and beans
- Simmer over low heat until the vegetables, beans and chickpeas have softened. I add the fresh herbs near the end; I believe they lose their flavour if cooked too long. The kitchen smells tremendous, but that’s not the aim!
- I remove the lemons before serving my soup, slice them and return them to the pot, but you can remove them.
You'll notice I don't add salt to my soup; we don’t use much salt. Adjust the salt to your taste.
BEEF MEATBALLS
CONFESSION: I have become lazy, and when it’s only Butch and me, I will buy ready-made ingredients, e.g. these meatballs are the spicy ones sold at Woolworths. They’re convenient and delicious)
500g lean beef mince (traditionally lamb would be used)
1 small onion, grated
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 deveined chillies, very finely sliced
30ml chopped chives (optional)
15ml dried mint (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
10ml ground coriander
10ml ground cumin
10ml smoked paprika
A generous handful of finely chopped parsley
Mix all the ingredients with the minced beef. Oil hands with a dollop of Olive oil. Roll into golf-ball-sized meatballs. Place on a floured board. Fifteen minutes before the soup is done cooking, add the meatballs. Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through. Add spinach, just in time to wilt.
Try making this Moroccan soup with spicy beef meatballs yourself and enjoy cooking and sharing a hearty meal. I'd love to hear how it turns out when you try it!
Avocados are in season now. I bought a tub of ready-made mashed spicy avocado, also widely available now. Instead of the yoghurt, I spooned a large dollop of guacamole onto the soup.
NB: these ready-made tubs of mashed avocado are excellent and keep very well in the freezer. Remove a few hours before you need it, defrost, and use. Leftovers (if there are any) can be kept for a day in the refrigerator.
To make your Avocado guacamole: remove the flesh into a bowl, then add salt, pepper, chilli, and lemon juice (or white wine vinegar) to taste. Mash. You can also add finely chopped, deseeded tomato, sweet bell pepper, chopped onion, or chives for a chunkier option.
Here are some common spices used in Moroccan cuisine. Use them to zhoosh up your soups and stews! Common spices include cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, paprika, coriander, saffron, mace, cloves, fennel, anise, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, fenugreek, caraway, black pepper and sesame seeds.
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I love it when Butch decides to cook. He’ll research recipes, make a shopping list, go shopping, cook, and serve while serving drinks and chatting up a storm. He looks groovy in an apron.
Last weekend he did prawns. We sat out on the patio. I can’t wait for summer when we can move into the garden.
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While Butch went shopping, I did a little exploring nearer home and found a vibrant hub of activity in Onrus. I bought a delicious gluten-free Orange and Almond drizzle cake and two small lemon meringue tarts at the deli. The meringue was crispy and the crust too—no soggy mess.
We enjoyed a cuppa and fluffy cinnamon-and-sugar pancakes at the coffee shop on the corner—they’re delicious. I’m a pancake, Tannie, and I must swallow my pride and admit they’re much nicer than mine.
After a visit to the vintage shop, I walked home, a must for anyone up for a chat. I always find the offerings on display beautiful, of good quality and inexpensive. Beautifully wrapped in a paper bag with a bow, I walked home with my new Royal Doulton pudding bowls. I was as pleased as Punch and served the Orange and Almond drizzle cake for pudding with a dollop of thick cream and orange segments poached in Brandy—a winner.
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Orange segments in brandy
2-3 oranges, peeled, rinds removed and sliced or segmented.
30 ml sugar
60ml brandy
3 star anise.
Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes until all the alcohol has boiled off. Remove from the heat, cool, and serve with baked citrus desserts or ice cream.
The picture above is a spicy condiment we bought recently, proudly produced in Zimbabwe. It's delicious and complemented our prawns beautifully; if you see it, consider buying a bottle.
Besseha!
Please note: Unfortunately, I did not take a photograph of my soup, not thinking it would be requested. The soup photographs are not my own.
https://coffeeshopblues.co.za/heartbeat-onrus-coffee-shop-hermanus/
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