Algerian Lentil Soup / Soupe de Lentilles a l'Algérienne

If you would ask me about my favorite season, spring would be my first spur-of-the-moment answer. And it's not because my birthday is in spring and I love presents and birthday cakes and parties; though it has a lot to do. But it's spring when I and everything around feel alive again. When the tulips and daffodils shade our driveway. When the days are longer, and warmer and brighter. When small tomato plants start sprouting by the kitchen window and birds start building their nests underneath the deck.

It is spring that I love the most. That's what, five years ago, the girl from Algeria would have told you.

But then I came to Michigan, exactly five years ago, and I saw fall. Really saw it

And fall, oh fall, I've fallen for you!

I fall for you every morning from my window when I see the saffron colored trees and wiggly maple leaves sliding down the street. I smell your perfume and it smells like roasted chestnuts, burning fireplaces and wet soil. I touch you and you're warm and cold. I listen to you and you're quiet, untamed, stripping what's around you serenely.

At the farmer's market last week, I fell for your pumpkins and huggable squashes, and snow white leeks and swiss chards, and apple ciders and cute bees and supermen dressed babies . The babies weren't for sale, unfortunately!

Every year I find myself going back to my seasonal routines. Like making S'fendj (Algerian doughnuts) and hot chocolate for dinner, in the fall. Not that I wouldn't make them in the spring; I do. But it's different. It's fall when I really start to crave S'fendj and hot chocolate in the evening. I think it's because they are both comforting (always loved hot chocolate with my doughnut). It's fall when I listen to Damien Rice and Amos Lee. Fall when I can't wait to slip into my warm slippers in the morning and snuggle with my blue blanket in the evening watching brothers and sisters. It's fall when the 4PM snack time becomes mandatory, when I make upside down apple and fig yogurt cake, sweet rolls for breakfast, meat or meatless stews for lunch and drool over the beans selection at my local grocery store. It's fall when a spicy lentil soup, and a very good one for that matter, and some crusty bread, should never be missed.

Though there are as many lentil soup recipes as there are good cooks, this one has always been the one I rely on when I want a complex flavored yet rustic and authentic Algerian lentil soup. And did I mention how easy it is to make? In a snap! The soup combines my mother's beloved lentil stew recipe with the addition of Dersa, a mixture of spices, herbs and acid that is commonly used in Algerian households to finish up soups and add another dimension of fragrance and flavor to the dish. The recipe yields a lot of soup(I'm afraid I will never learn how to make soups and stews for just two or even four people) but can easily be halved. You can use any type of lentils you like, but for this specific recipe, and that's just me, I prefer the old fashioned brown lentil. As I love how it melts in your mouth and release a certain earthy, dare I say comforting note. Green lentils (also known as French lentils) wouldn't work here. I used lamb bones in my recipe, mainly for the aroma, and because we love our lamb in Algeria, but you can skip them and use homemade or very good quality chicken stock or vegetable stock instead. What makes this soup so irresistible and lip-smacking delicious is the combination of warm spices like turmeric, cumin and ground coriander with fresh herbs like mint, parsley and cilantro. And I mean a lot of cilantro. It is key here. Of course six cloves of garlic, four at the beginning and two with the Dersa, have also a lot to do, flavor wise. I believe this soup is going to be around for more falls to come. And winters, too.

Happy weekend, everybody!

Algerian Lentil Soup (Chorbet Addas)

Recipe: serves 6
- 1 cup lentils, picked over for stones and other debris, rinsed and drained
- 2 pounds lamb soup bones
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 big carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ripe, medium tomatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- A bouquet garni, made of: 4 sprigs of parsley, 4 sprigs of cilantro, 4 sprigs of fresh mint and two bay leaves, tied together with a string
- 8 cups water (chicken or vegetable broth if you're not using the lamb bones)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For the Dersa:
- A very generous bunch of cilantro chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp zest of a lemon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp good olive oil

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown slightly, about 10 minutes. Add 8 cups water, lamb bones, lentils, and tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare Dersa. On a chopping board, mince the garlic cloves finely. Add the chopped cilantro, lemon zest and cumin and give it another chop with your knife. Gather with your knife and chop. Gather and chop until everything looks blended. Put the mixture into a bowl and add the lemon juice and olive oil. Stir quickly and set aside.

When the lentils are done, discard the bones and the herbs bundle. Season with more salt and pepper if needed and half the Dersa. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with remaining Dersa.

B'ssahatkoum! (To your health!)

Soupe de Lentilles a l'Algérienne (Chorbet Addas)

In Français Please: Pour 6 personnes
- 200g de lentilles, nettoyées et lavées
- 1 kg d'os d'agneau pour la soupe
- 2 c.s d'huile végétale
- 1 oignon moyen, finement haché (environ 250ml)
- 2 grosses carottes, coupées en des (environ 250ml)
- 2 céleri, coupés en des (environ 125ml)
- 4 gousses d'ail, émincées
- 2 tomates, bien mures, épluchées et coupées en des (environ 375ml)
- 1/2 c.c de curcuma
- 1 c.c de cumin en poudre
- 1 c.c de coriandre en poudre
- Un bouquet garni: 4 branches de persil, 4 branches de coriandre, 4 branches de menthe fraiche et deux feuilles de laurier, toutes attachées a l'aide d'une ficelle.
- 2L d'eau (bouillon de volaille ou de légumes si vous n'utilisez pas d'os)
- 2 c.c de sel
1/2 c.c de poivre noir fraichement moulu
Pour la Dersa:
- Un bouquet généreux de coriandre fraiche
- 1/2 c.c de cumin en poudre
- 2 gousses d'ail
- 1/2 c.c de zeste de citron
- 1c.c de jus de citron
- 1c.s d'huile d'olive

Faites chauffer l'huile dans une cocotte et ajouter, l'oignon haché, l'ail, carottes, céleri et épices; faites sauter jusqu'à une belle colorisation des légumes, environ 10 minutes. Ajouter 2L d'eau. les os d'agneau, lentilles, et les tomates et porter a ébullition. Réduire le feu, couvrir, et laisser mijoter jusqu'à ce que les lentilles deviennent tendres, environ 30-35 minutes.

Entre temps, préparer la Dersa. Sur une planche de travail, émincer l'ail finement. Ajouter la coriandre hachée, le zest de citron et le cumin et amalgamer le tout grossièrement a l'aide d'un couteau. Mettre le mélange d'herbe dans une assiette et ajouter le jus de citron et l'huile d'olive. Remuer rapidement et mettre de cote.

Quand les lentilles sont cuites, retirer les os et le bouquet garni. Assaisonner avec un peu plus de sel et de poivre si nécessaire et la moitie de la Dersa. Servir dans des bols et garnir avec le restant de Dersa.

B'ssahatkoum! (A votre sante!)

A Soup To The Rescue / Une Soupe à La Rescousse

This soup is what helped us, my husband and I, from starving this past weekend after we had a stomach bug. You don’t know how important it is what you put into your body until you find your face distorted with pain.

I had big plans for this past weekend. Plans that involve a Thai lunch with my friend and her family, a Sunday breakfast perfumed with freshly baked cinnamon rolls and an afternoon walk to the park with my daughter and my husband.
Instead, all I can remember from this past weekend is the bathroom, blankets in the family room and questions like: “Are you feeling better? Did you take your medicine? Do you want something to eat?” To which all of the answers was an echoing: No!

It sucks to be sick!
It sucks to be sick on a weekend.
It sucks even more to be sick on a weekend and having to eat a bland, boring soup.
But this soup isn’t boring! No! Although it doesn’t have all the warm spices that I usually put in my soups, it is nonetheless very good, with a hint of sweetness from the leeks and a woody taste from the thyme and bay leaf. Because nobody likes dull soups, especially when you are sick.

Hope you all had a healthier weekend!

Feel Good Leek and Thyme Soup

Recipe: Serves 4
- 3 medium leeks, cleaned and roughly sliced
- 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 fat garlic cloves, peeled.
- 2 small potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried thyme (or fresh if available)
- 1 big bay leaf
- 4 cups water (or vegetable stock)
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions, garlic and leeks, and stir to coat them with the oil. Let them cook on a medium heat until lightly browned. Add the potatoes, thyme and bay leaves and stir again. Cover with the water. Add bay leaf, salt and pepper, and cover with a lid. Let simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf and blend the soup using a hand blender. Season if needed, and serve right away.

Soupe aux Poireaux et thym

In Francais Please: Pour 4 personnes
- 3 poireaux moyens, nettoyés et grossierement hachés
- 1 petit oignon, épluché et grossierement haché
- 2 grosses gousses d’ail, épluchées
- 1 petite c.s d’huile d’olive
- 1 c.s de thym séché (ou frais si disponible)
- 1 large feuille de laurier
- 1L d’eau (ou bouillon de legumes)
- Sel et poivre noir fraichement moulu

Faites chauffer l’huile d’olive dans une cocotte. Ajouter l’oignon, les gousses d’ail et les poireaux, puis mélanger pour bien couvrir les legumes d’huile. Laisser dorer pendant quelques minutes. Ajouter les pommes de terre, le thym et la feuille de laurier et mélanger encore. Couvrir d’eau. Assaisonner de sel, poivre et couvrir. Laisser mijoter jusqu’à ce que les pommes de terre deviennent tendres, environ 20 minutes. Retirer la feuille de laurier et mixer la soupe. Réctifier l’assaisonnement si nécessaire et servir tout de suite.

Like A Soft Blanket / Comme Une Douce Couverture

Hi there!

I hope you are having some sunshine where you are, because we’ve had quite a cold winter around here. Our driveway has been wearing a thick icy coat for a few days now, and when the sun shows up, it’s only for a few minutes a day.

I am not a winter person. The days are short, it’s cloudy most of the time, the air is dry, my skin is dry, and the temperature is rarely higher than 25F (-4C).
Yes, I do enjoy the first days of snowflakes gently falling down my kitchen window. I love sliding down the hills with my daughter tucked between my thighs, screaming and laughing out loud. I look forward to some cold breeze to make lentil stews, roasted root vegetables and apple pie. But after a month or so, I am done. Done as in wake-me-up-when-it’s-spring-done!

But I love winter for one thing. Actually two: Comforting food and Sunday naps.
Every Sunday, as I tip toe to the kitchen to set the breakfast table, I take a look outside to see how is the day shaping up. Lately, Sunday meant to be gray, snowy and cold. If we were to be in the same room at this exact moment, you would actually see me smile with content at this view.
Now before you start asking yourself what is going on with this girl who seconds earlier shamelessly pretended to hate winter, let me explain myself.

You see, for years now I have nurtured this vision about wintry Sundays: basically they are meant to be spent at home, around a warm, consoling meal and a nap on the couch, cuddled by my husband and a soft blanket.

Sunday naps are a good way to deal with winter. And so are soups.

I could eat this soup every day of the week. It is the soup of my childhood, the soup I make all winter long. The one we make on weddings, for guests, on Ramadan, or just when we crave something spicy and warming on a cold day.
This soup is called “Harira”. It is a spiced chickpea and lamb soup that is widely popular in Algeria, especially the west part of the country, and Morocco. The traditional way would be to cook it using lamb meat, but you can use beef meat though the taste would be different. There is something about this soup that amazes me every time I make it. It never tastes the same.

 Harira can be thickened using flour (about 2tbsp diluted in a little bit of cold water) or, in the case of today’s recipe, bulgur. Not only the soup gets its distinctive flavor from the spices, but also from the Dersa. Dersa is a sort of Algerian Condiment. It’s mainly chopped herbs with spices and garlic that we add to the dish to finish it up. In this Harira, Dersa is made with chopped fresh cilantro, garlic, ground caraway and paprika.

When serving the soup, I like to drizzle a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice and sprinkle some Dersa on top; because there is nothing like Harira to make me fall in love with winter again.

Harira: Fragrant Chickpeas and Lamb soup with Bulgur

Recipe: Serves 6 to 8
- ½ lb lamb chunks
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 big onion, peeled and roughly diced
- 1 potato, peeled and roughly diced
- 1 tomato, roughly diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and roughly diced
- 1 ½ cup chickpeas, soaked overnight, wrapped in a cheesecloth for easy "fishing" before passing the soup through the food mill (if using canned chickpeas, add them at the end)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, tied with a string
- 1 generous tsp of allspice
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground caraway
- ¼ cinnamon stick
- 8 cups of water
- 1 sprig of mint (5 big leaves)
- ¾ cup wheat bulgur
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- For the Dersa: (The herb and spices condiment)
- 3 tbsp cilantro leaves
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 fat garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground caraway

In a big pot, heat the oil on medium heat. Season the lamb chunks and sauté them on each sides until browned. Add the onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and chickpeas. Sauté until lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Add the spices, the bunch of cilantro, the tomato paste and stir to combine. Cover with the water. Season the soup with generous amount of salt and pepper and cover with a lid. Once the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the chickpeas cooked and the meat fork tender.
Discard the cilantro bunch and the stick of cinnamon. Put the meat and chickpeas in a plate, and, using a vegetable mill, puree all the rest of vegetables. You can also use a blender. But you will have to do it in batches, as the liquid is very hot.
Put the soup back on the stove. Add the chickpeas and the scattered meat. Bring to a boil and add the mint sprig and the bulgur. Stir to distribute the bulgur. Let it cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the bulgur is cooked. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Before serving the soup, make the Dersa: Using a sharp knife, or even a mortar would be great, chop finely the cilantro leaves with garlic, paprika and ground caraway.
Serve the Harira in individual bowls, squeeze a few drops of lemon juice on top and sprinkle a little of Dersa.

Harira: Soupe Epicée aux Pois-chiches, agneau et Bulgur

In Francais Please: Pour 6 a 8 personnes
- 200g de morceaux d’agneau
- 1 gros oignon, grossierement hachée
- 1 pomme de terre, épluchée et coupe en gros dés
- 1 tomate, coupe en gros dés
- 3 carottes, épluchées et coupées en gros dés
- 375 ml de pois-chiches, trempés la veille
- 1 petit bouquet de coriandre, attaché avec une ficelle
- 1 c.s de tomate en conserve
- 1 c.c de carvi en poudre
- 1 genereuse c.c de piment de la jamaique (aussi connu sous le nom de kebeba)
- 1 c.c de curcuma (safran des indes)
- 1 c.c de gingembre en poudre
- ¼ de baton de canelle
- 2 ½ l d’eau
- 1 branche de menthe (environ 5 grosses feuilles)
- Un peu moins d’une tasse a café de bulgur
- Sel et poivre noir fraichement moulu
- Pour La Dersa (le mélange d’herbe et d’épices)
- 3 c.s de feuilles de coriandre
- 2 grosses gousses d’ail
- ½ c.c de paprika
- 1 c.c de carvi en poudre

Faites chauffer l’huile dans une grande cocotte sous un feu moyen. Assaisonner la viande et faites dorer de tous les cotés. Ajouter l’oignon, la tomate, pomme de terre, carottes et pois-chiches. Faites sauter jusqu’à ce que les légumes deviennent légerement colorés, environ 5 minutes. Ajouter les épices, la tomate en conserve et le coriandre. Mélanger bien le tout. Couvrir d’eau et assaisonner génereusement de sel et poivre noir. Couvrir du couvercle et laisser cuire. Dés que la soupe commence à bouillir, baisser le feu un peu et laisser mijoter jusqu’à ce que les pois-chiches soient cuits et la viande bien tendre, environ 20-30 minutes.
Jeter le bouquet de coriandre et le batonnet de cannelle. Retirer la viande et les pois chiches et les mettre dans une assiette. Passer le reste de legumes et bouillon à la moulinette. Remettre la soupe sur le feu et porter à ébullition. Ajouter la menthe et le bulgur et remuer pour bien répartir le bulgur. Laisser cuire encore 15 minutes, ou jusqu’à ce que le bulgur soit cuit.
Avant de servir, préparer la dersa: A l’aide d’un couteau eguisé, ou un mortier, hacher les feuilles de coriandre, ail, carvi et paprika jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit homogène.
Servir la Harira dans des bols individuels, avec quelques gouttes de citron et saupoudrée de Dersa

Sunshine in a Bowl / Un Rayon de Soleil

It’s hard to be a soup these days.

You are rarely at the family table. We see you when we are out of inspiration for dinner or when the kid has a cold. You have never been understood by the humans.
They call you names like dull, boring, you look funny; and you still come back, happy to warm up our heart and body on chilly nights.

You are mistreated. You are served too hot at home, too cold at the hospital when you are not supposed to be a gazpacho. You are thickened too much and not enough let to bloom peacefully on the stove. You spend days in the fridge alone; with only friends to talk too a pot of jam who doesn’t say much and a butter who plays it tough. They reheat you and burn you and drain you down the sink when they have enough of you.

You are mocked by children, hated by adults on diet and abused by toddlers who tickle you and give you the headache.

Still you come back in our kitchen, happy in our pots and waiving at us when we stir you gently. You know how to delight us when we treat you well and how to light up our days like sunshine in a bowl.

I really fell in love with this soup. I would never thought of a soup as something enjoyable to make and to get excited about, but this one is more than just a soup. It’s a medley of spices and places. You get the natural sweetness of the butternut squash and the apple cider mixed with the warmth of the cinnamon, the cardamom, the ginger and the all spice. And the color of the soup is just wonderful. The soup should be really velvety and silky to your tongue, so make sure to blend it well.

Like many things with warm spices, this soup improves with time. It’s delicious on the first day, but it’s magnificent on the second and out of this world on the third. At least if it stays that long.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe: Serves 8- 10 persons
- 1 butternut squash (3 lb)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2 cups apple cider
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 cup Half and half
- Salt, pepper
- Toasted almonds flakes

Preheat your oven to 425F. Peel, seed and cut your butternut squash in cubes. Place on a sheet tray and drizzle with some olive oil. Season it with salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
In a heavy saucepan, reduce the apple cider on high heat, uncovered until you have 1 cup.
In a heavy large pot or a Dutch oven, sauté the onion in 1 tbsp of butter and ½ tsp vegetable oil until caramelized. Add ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, all spice and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute or two until fragrant.
Add squash cubes, chicken or vegetable stock and the reduced apple cider and simmer for 25 minutes.
Discard the cinnamon stick and puree the soup using a stand blender until very smooth.
Add the half and half and cook until it thickens and reaches a velvety consistency.
Season with salt and pepper if needed and serve sprinkled with some toasted flaked almonds.

Soupe de Potiron Rôti

In francais please: 8-10 personnes
- 1 potiron (1.5 kg)
- 1 oignon, émincé
- 1 c.c de gingembre en poudre
- ½ c.c de cardamome
- 1 c.c de piment de la jamaique
- ¼ c.c de poivre de cayenne
- 750 ml de bouillon de volaille ou de légumes
- 500 ml de cidre de pommes
- ½ baton de cannelle
- 250 ml de moitié-moitié
- Sel, poivre
- Amandes effilées, légerement grillées

Préchauffer votre four à 218C. Laver votre potiron et éplucher la chair à l’aide d’un couteau économe. Enlever les graines et couper en petits cubes.
Mettre les cubes dans une tôle allant au four. Verser un filet d’huile d’olive sur les cubes de potiron et assaisonner de sel, poivre. Bien mélanger. Faites cuires jusqu’a ce qu’ils deviennent tendres, environ 20 min.
Dans une casserole à fond épais, faites réduire le cidre de pomme de moitié sur grand feu.
Dans une cocotte, faites sauter les oignons dans une c.s de beurre et ½ c.s d’huile jusqu’à ce qu’ils caramélisent. Ajouter, le gingembre, cardamome, poivre de cayenne, piment de jamaique et le baton de cannelle. Faites sauter une à deux minutes jusqu’a ce que cela devienne bien aromatisé. Ajouter les cubes de potiron aux oignons puis le bouillon de volaille, ou de legume, le cidre de pommes réduit et laisser mijoter pendant 25 minutes.
Jeter le baton de cannelle et mixer la soupe à l’aide d’un mixeur a purée avec lequel on mixe les purées de bébé (je ne me rapelle plus comment on l’appele) jusqu’à ce qu’elle devienne bien lisse.
Ajouter le moitié-moitié et laisser cuire sur feu doux jusqu’à ce que la soupe devienne onctueuse . Assaisonner de sel et de poivre si nécéssaire et servir saupoudré d’amandes effilées légerement grillées.

Bon Anniversaire Mon Ninou adoré.

A Soup to Cool you Down / Une Soupe pour vous Rafraîchir

Although we are still in the middle of summer, although it’s 92 degrees (33 C) outside and my feet are feeling bigger and bigger from the heat, I have this weakness lately for soups. Yes, soups. I can’t explain it but every time I see a new soup recipe I get all excited and run to the kitchen to start dicing, pouring and stirring. In the past two weeks, we had three different kinds of soups and I think my daughter is planning a strike along with her father behind my back.
The funny part about it is that I used to hate soups when I was a kid. I always associate it with my mother praising the merits of her extremely hot vegetable soup to heal our cold and flue. “The hot soup will go through your veins and you will feel much better,” she tells us.
We didn’t believe her story of veins, although it would have been funny to imagine it: “hot soup coming through! Watch out blood!” But still we really thought for years that it was our mother’s soup that cured us. Or maybe it really was!
Now, I make soups because I love them. They are easy, comforting, always versatile, and did I say easy and quick to make.
I made this pea, basil and feta soup a week ago when I spotted it on Wendy’s blog. It sounded so fresh and summery and Wendy’s writing about the sweetness of her garden peas convinced me even more to try it. Actually I didn’t need a lot of convincing.
The soup is wonderful on its own but I wanted to add a little bit of crunch to it by adding some croutons and instead of using plain feta I used my favorite marinated feta, along with the olive oil that it has been marinating in. I added one potato to the soup because I wanted it to have more body. Wendy added the feta at the end but being a feta lover, I added half of it before blending it and added the rest on the croutons.
This soup is already a favorite at home. It’s not only lovely but it also runs through your veins to cool you down and make you fell better. Trust my veins.

Pea, Feta and basil soup

Recipe: Serves 4
- 14oz frozen peas
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic clove, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
- A big handful of basil leaves
- 3 ½ oz marinated feta cheese, drained or plain feta
- Croutons
- Sal, pepper

In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the onions then the garlic and let it cook until tender but not browned. Add the peas and potato and stir. Pour the stock or water and bring to a boil. Let it cook on medium heat, with the lid on for 15 min or until the potatoes are cooked through.
Remove from the heat and add the basil leaves and stir. Leave the soup to cool a bit before pouring it into the blender. Add half the feta cheese to the pea soup and blend until smooth. Taste the soup then season with salt if needed and pepper.
Brush the croutons with the olive oil from the marinated feta then broil for a few minutes until brown. Serve the soup with croutons, each topped with crumbled feta.

Soupe de Petits Pois, Basilic et Feta

In francais please: Pour 4 personnes
- 400g de petits pois congele
- 1 pomme de terre moyenne, epluchee et coupe en des
- 1 oignon, hache
- 2 gousses d’ail hachee
- 2 c.s d’huile d’olive
- 750ml de bouillon de volaille, ou de legume ou de l’eau
- Une grosse poignee de feuilles de basilic
- 100g de feta marinee, ou sans marinade
- Des croutons
- Sel, poivre

Dans une cocotte, faites chauffer l’huile d’olive. Ajouter l’oigon puis l’ail. Laisser fondre mais pas brunir. Ajouter les petits pois et la pomme de terre et melanger. Couvrir de bouillon ou d’eau et porter a ebullition. Laisser cuire couvert, sur feu doux pendant 15 min ou jusqu’a ce que la pomme de terre soit cuite.
Hors du feu, ajouter les feuille de basilic et laisser la soupe refroidir un peu avant de la passer au mixeur. Passer votre soupe au mixeur avec la moitie du fromage feta jusqu’a ce que votre soupe devienne veloute. Gouter la soupe et ajouter le sel si necessaire, car la feta est naturellement salee. Poivrez.
Badigonne chaque crouton avec l’huile d’olive ou la feta se marinait et mettre sous le grill pour quelques minutes jusqu’a ce que les croutons brunissent. Servir la soupe decoree de croutons et sur chaque crouton mettre le reste de feta emiettee.

Velouté de chou-fleur / Cream of cauliflower

I have been ignoring this vegetable for a long time now. When I go to the market and pass by the stand of cauliflowers, I look away and act like I didn’t see it. I act like you do when you come face to face with somebody that you don’t want to see: you pretend to gaze at the window of a hardware store (it was the closest), or you start an incoherent conversation with your neighbor until the person passes you. "Wiiihou, it was close".
I have nothing against this vegetable; we had no argument or anything like that, we just decided at a certain period of my life that it was better for us, especially for me, to go separate ways. It was a mutual agreement.
If I had to explain my story with the cauliflower, I have to go back four years ago, to when I was in college. To make it short and simple, because the university that I attended was far away from home, I was staying at my cousin’s house. She is married and has three children. She has always been very nice to me, considering me like her own daughter. At her house, it’s her husband who cooks. His cuisine is what I would call: a fatty, greasy, meat-lover and spicy cuisine. I wasn’t a big fan of it. One day, he was coming back from the market with a basket full of cauliflowers. I taught: “for once we are going to have some vegetables”. I remember we had for dinner: fried cauliflowers and cauliflower gratin. But then, he decided to take the cauliflower to the next level; so we had for the next 5 days all kind of recipes that have as main ingredient…you guessed it: Cauliflower. It has been fried, broiled, watery (actually it was supposed to be boiled), beignets of cauliflowers, salad of cauliflowers. The walls of the apartment smelled like a big cauliflower, the air smelled like cauliflower and I even had a dream that I won the lottery but they gave me instead a cauliflower. After going back home for the weekend, I promised my self not to eat or touch or even talk about the C vegetable anymore.
Last week, while doing my grocery shopping, I wanted to buy some lettuce which happened to be right by this big pile of cauliflower. “Oh my god, what should I do? Should I ignore it, take my lettuce and run or should I go and talk to it?” I have to say, it was pretty emotional, me and the cauliflower. I took my lettuce and the cauliflower with me but wasn’t sure what I was going to do with this old forgotten friend.
The only recipe that I have never had with cauliflower in it was: a soup. I tried this cream of cauliflowers with curry and a North African spice called “Ras El-Hanout” which gives a hint of spice yet a sweet flavor.
Oh and I forgot to say: “and they live happily ever after”.

Recipe:
-1 cauliflower
-1 large shallot, chopped
-1 garlic clove
-2 tbsp butter
-1 tsp mild curry
-1 tsp Ras El-Hanout
-2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt, pepper

Heat the butter in a large pot and cook the shallots, garlic, and spices for 5min, stirring frequently. Stir in the cauliflower flowers and cook for another 5min, then add the chicken broth, cover and cook for about 20 to 30min or until the flowers are tender. Uncover and let the liquid reduce by nearly half.
Puree the soup with a hand blender until well blended. Pour in the cream and stir for about 1min. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

In francais please:

-1 chou-fleur
-1 grosse echalote
-1 gousse d’ail
-2 c.s de beurre
- 1 c.c de curry
-1 c.c de Ras El-Hanout
-500ml de bouillon de volaille
-50ml de crème fraiche
-Sel, poivre

Faites chauffer le beurre dans une cocotte. Faites-y revenir l’echalote, l’ail et les epices pendant 5min en melangeant regulierment. Ajouter les fleurs de chou-fleur et laisser mijoter 5min, puis verser le bouillon de volaille, couvrir, et laisser cuire 20 a 30min jusqu’a ce que les fleurs soient tendres. Enlever le couvercle et laisser reduire le liquide de moitie. Mixer le tout, ajouter la crème fraiche et melanger pendant 1min environ. Assaisonner a votre gout et servir de suite.

Harira: soupe maghrebine traditionnelle / Traditional maghrebi soup

When we were kids, my mother used to battle with us to make us finish or even touch our bowl of soup. It wasn’t our favorite dish: too many vegetables, too hot, too tasteless. We always managed to find an excuse for not eating it.

But the only soup that we all agreed on was Harira. For us, it was a unique soup where the spices, the herbs, the vegetables and the lamb blended to form this warm, fragrant and velvety dish that awakens the senses.
This soup is widely known across Algeria and Morocco. Although the base of the recipe is the same, every region has its own variation.
Harira is especially served as a first course of Ramadan meal and in special occasions like weddings for instance.

Recipe:
-1 lb lamb shoulder cut in chunks
-1 tbsp vegetable oil
-1 big onion
-2 carrots
-1 potato
-1 big tomato
- ½ cup chickpeas soaked in water overnight and drained
- 6 cups water
-1 tbsp tomato paste
-A pinch of saffron
-A bunch of cilantro
-1 tsp ginger powder
-1 tsp caraway powder
- ½ cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp cubeb pepper
-1 sprig of mint
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Salt and pepper

For the thickener:
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp lemon juice
-1 cup water

First prepare the liquid thickener by mixing the flour, the water and the lemon juice until blended. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Sauté the meat on all sides for few minutes. Add the onions sliced. Sauté them until they are golden brown. Add the rest of the vegetables, sliced, the tomato paste, the cilantro tied with a string and the chickpeas placed in a closed cheese cloth. Pour in a little bit of water. Add the saffron, the ginger, the cinnamon stick, the cubeb pepper and stir until blended. Cook for few minutes on medium high heat until it starts to boil. Add the rest of the water, salt and pepper and cover. Cook on medium heat for 45min or until the meat and vegetables are cooked.
Remove the meat, the cilantro, and the chickpeas and discard the cinnamon stick. Put the broth and the vegetables through the vegetable mill. Put the soup back on the stove and bring to boil. While stirring, add the caraway powder then pour slowly the thickener. Season with salt and pepper if needed and let cook for another 10min on medium-low heat. Remove from the stove then add the meat cut in small pieces, the cinnamon powder and the mint sprig. Serve while hot.

In francais please:
- 450g d’epaule d’agneau coupe en morceaux
-1 c.s d’huile de table
- 1 gros oignon
-2 carottes
-1 pomme de terre
-1 tomate
-100g de pois-chiches trempes la veille et egouttes
-1 ½ L d’eau
-1 c.s de tomate en conserve
- Une pincee de safran
-1 poignee de coriandre
-1 c.c de gingembre en poudre
-1 c.c carvi en poudre
- ½ batton de canelle
- ½ c.c cubebe en poudre
-1 branche de menthe
- ¼ c.c canelle
- Sel, poivre

Pour l’eppaississant:
-3 c.s de farine
-100ml d’eau
-1 c.c d’eau

Preparer l’eppaississant a l’avance en melangeant la farine, l’eau et le jus de citron jusqu’a l’obtention d’un mélange homogene et veloute.
Faites chauffer l’huile dans une grande cocotte et faites dorer la viande de tous les cotes. Ajouter les oignons coupes en gros morceau et les faire dorer a leur tour.
Verser le reste des legumes coupes en morceaux, la coriandre ficelee, les pois-chiches (enveloper-les dans un tissue et ficeller-le de maniere a former un petit sac ), la tomate en coserve et un peu d’eau. Ajouter le gingembre, le cubebe, le batton de canelle, le safran, le sel et le poivre. Laisser cuire sur grand feu jusqu’a ebullition. Verser le reste de l’eau et fermer. Cuire sur feu moyen pendant 45min jusq’a ce que la viande et les legumes sont cuits.
Enlever la viande, la coriandre, les pois-chiches et jeter le batton de canelle. Passer les legumes a la moulinette et remettre sur le feu. Porter a ebullition et ajouter la viande emiettee, le carvi puis l’eppaississant tout en melangeant. Assaisonner si necessaire de sel et de poivre et laisser cuire 10mn de plus. Hors du feu, melanger la canelle en poudre et la menthe. Servir chaud.