Warm and nourishing, soup is comfort in a cup. Try Moroccan couscous soup with green fava beans for something a little different.
By NERIA BARRHerb soup(photo credit: Shay Afgin)
Soup is universal. Spice it up, tone it down, keep it simple or load it with ingredients. The results are the same: it’s comfort in a cup.Soup is delicious and nutritious whether slurped from a cup or savored with a spoon.You could say that soup is giving and forgiving. Throw in anything. Thicken it in so many ways: cornstarch, pureed cooked beans, mashed potatoes, 2 tablespoons of almonds or cashews soaked in hot water and pureed, barley, flour slurry, with potato starch or semolina flour.HERB SOUPServes 4 Chef Barak Horesh created this healthful soup for Tara dairies.✔ 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed ✔ 3 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cubed ✔ 2 cloves garlic, minced ✔ 1 red onion, chopped ✔ 1 kohlrabi, peeled and chopped ✔ 1 carton 32% cream ✔ 2 Tbsp. Tuv Ta’am white cheese✔ Olive oil ✔ 4 handfuls chopped herbs. Choose and mix mint, oregano, cilantro, parsley or chives ✔ 7 cups vegetable broth ✔ Seasonings: salt, nutmeg, cumin, black pepper ✔ Garnish: ginger strips, lemon zestCook potatoes and artichokes in the vegetable stock over medium heat until done (about 25 minutes).Meanwhile, sauté onion, garlic and kohlrabi in olive oil until transparent. Add the onion mixture to the soup and continue cooking 5 more minutes.Using a hand blender, mash the soup until smooth, return to the stove, season and add the cream. Bring to a gentle boil while stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the herbs and mix well. Remove from heat.To serve: Pour soup into deep soup dishes, add 1 Tbsp. of cheese in the middle of each plate. Garnish with a few strips of ginger and a little lemon zest. Serve hot.
Tip: Add the herbs to the soup before mixing it in the blender for a smoother texture.Garnish with roasted pecans or sprinkle with grated yellow cheese and place under the grill for 1 minute.MOROCCAN COUSCOUS SOUP WITH GREEN FAVA BEANSMoroccan couscous soup with green fava beans (Yasmin and Arie)Remember Smadi Bomba from TV’s Master Chef? The colorful cook became a real celebrity chef after the show aired two years ago and is now participating in many promotional campaigns. She offers her version of couscous vegetable and chicken soup, courtesy of Sugat Couscous.✔ 3 carrots ✔ 2 zucchini ✔ 1 turnip ✔ 3 potatoes ✔ 1 large onion ✔ 2-3 celery stalks ✔ ¼ package fresh dill ¼ white cabbage ✔ ½ package cilantro (or parsley) ✔ ½ package frozen fava beans (fresh are better if you can find them in the market) ✔ 1 tsp. red paprika ✔ ½ tsp. white pepper ✔ 1 tsp. turmeric ✔ 1 tsp. seasoning mixture, ras el hanout or other✔ 1½ Tbsp. parve chicken soup flavor powder ✔ 1 Tbsp. tomato puree ✔ ½ stick cinnamonPeel and coarsely slice vegetables.Sauté onion in oil with the cinnamon stick.When onion is golden, add carrots, potatoes and celery. At this point, you may add chicken breast if you want a meat soup.Cover with water and cook for 10 minutes.Add the rest of the vegetables, herbs and tomato puree. Add more water to cover all vegetables. Bring to a boil and add the fava beans. Continue cooking covered over medium heat for 40-50 minutes. Serve over prepared couscous.BONE - MARROW SOUP WITH ROOT VEGETABLESBeef and beans with root vegetables (Yasmin and Arie)This is a hearty winter soup that will warm you up. Courtesy of chef Sahar Rephael and the Bitan Wines chain.✔ 8 beef bones (ask the butcher for ones with marrow) ✔ 5 onions, halved ✔ 4 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks ✔ 4 parsley roots, peeled and sliced length wise ✔ 3 turnips, peeled and sliced ✔ 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed ✔ Olive oil ✔ 300 gr. chickpeas, soaked overnight or partially cooked (you may use frozen) ✔ 4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced ✔ Salt and pepper ✔ ½ cup white wine (optional) ✔ 2 sprigs thyme ✔ Handful basil leaves ✔ 2 Tbsp. flour Sear bones in a pot with a little oil on all sides for 5 minutes, and remove from the pot. Add all the vegetables except the tomatoes.Sauté well, add flour and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add the wine and about 4 liters of water. Bring to a boil, add chickpeas and season with salt and pepper.Add the thyme and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. If soup is too thick, add water.After 20 minutes, add the seared bones, basil and tomatoes. Cook for 20 more minutes.Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot with garlic bread.Variation: Replace bones with 500 gr. of beef, and the chickpeas with partialy cooked white beans, for a Beef and Beans Soup.ROAST ED CARROT SOUP Serves 4 ✔ 6 to 8 large carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices ✔ ¼ cup olive oil ✔ Salt ✔ 6 cups vegetable stock, or as needed ✔ A piece fresh ginger, peeled ✔ 1 fresh thyme sprig, plus chopped thyme for garnish ✔ ½ large onions, chopped ✔ 2 large garlic cloves, chopped ✔ Freshly ground black pepperSet an oven rack 15 cm. from the heat source and turn on the broiler. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots with 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Broil the carrots until they brown and soften, turning them over with a spatula every 5 minutes or so; this should take 15 to 20 minutes.Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the ginger and sprig of thyme, turn down the heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.Just before the carrots are done, put the onion in a large saucepan with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and brown over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the carrots.Remove the ginger and thyme from the stock and add the stock to the onions and carrots. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the carrots are very soft.Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add more stock or water and reheat gently.Add salt and pepper to taste.Serve garnished with chopped thyme
