Couscous Soup / Soupe Pour le Couscous

COUSCOUS SOUP/SOUPE POUR LE COUSCOUS

8 to 10 servings

1-1/3 cups dried chickpeas

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2-1/2 lb lean lamb or beef shoulder or collar, cut in about 3/4-inch pieces

5 medium onions, diced

1 pound (500 g) tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped (or 2 tbsp tomato paste)

2 generous pinches saffron

1 tbsp coarse sea salt

2-1/4 quarts (10 cups) hot water

2 pounds carrots, cut in 1-inch lengths on a slight diagonal

1-1/2 pounds turnips, peeled, trimmed, cut in 1-inch pieces

1-1/2 pounds zucchini, trimmed, cut in 1-1/2 inch lengths on a slight diagonal

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut in 1-1/2 inch pieces

1. Place chickpeas in a pan and cover by 2” with water. Stir in baking soda and bring water to a boil. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain chickpeas, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat and boil gently until nearly tender, about 1 hour.

2. Heat the oil in a couscoussier or a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add meat and brown well on all sides. Add onions, stir and cook until deep golden, about 10 min, then crumble in the saffron. Season with salt and add tomatoes. Stir, scraping up the caramelized residue from the bottom of the pan. Add 1 cup (250 ml) hot water. Stir and cook 4 to 5 min, then add 2 quarts (2 l) hot water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat so the liquid simmers merrily. Cook until meat begins to turn tender, about 30 min.

3. Add carrots and chickpeas, bring to a boil covered, reduce the heat so the liquid boils gently and cook until carrots resist slightly when tested with a sharp knife, about 15 min. Add all remaining vegetables and cook until tender, about 30 min. Check seasoning and remove from heat. The soup is ready to serve, over individual helpings of steamed couscous, but it will be even better if it sits for an hour or two and is reheated. Traditional couscous is steamed three times, over boiling water or the cooking soup, in a detailed and time-consuming process. If you are using prepared, pre-steamed couscous, follow the recipe on the package.

Susan Herrmann Loomis teaches cooking classes in Normandy and Paris. www.onruetatin. com. Find her cookbooks in the France Today Bookstore.

Originally published in the September 2012 issue of France Today