Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup

Now that I'm back on track with my diet, I'm back to trying new recipes.  And this one's a good one.  I really love Moroccan food.  The unique combinations of the spices, the heat, the brightness of the cooking, and actually, it's not very hard nor is it difficult to find most of the ingredients.  This recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated magazine.  Generally, I don't find a lot of great recipes from this magazine, but I do find a lot of great techniques.  This just turned out to be the rare great recipe.  

Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 celery ribs, chopped fine

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/2 cup fresh parsley

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups water

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas

1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup orzo

4 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons lemon juice

I did change a few things.  I didn't include nearly as much cilantro.  I'm one of those people who don't really like cilantro.  I think it's a gene thing, like being color blind.  I want it to taste good, but it just doesn't.  Also, I used baby spinach instead of Swiss chard.  All greens pretty much taste the same to me.  Maybe it's that same gene?  Spinach is easier to find and prepare.  

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and starting to brown, 7-8 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.  Stir in coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and 1/4 cup parsley and cook for 1 minute.  

2. Stir in broth, water, chickpeas, and lentils; increase heat to high and bring to simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and gently simmer until lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Stir in tomatoes and pasta and simmer, partially covered for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in chard and continue to cook, partially covered, until pasta is tender, about 5 minutes longer.  Off heat, stir in lemon juice, remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, and remaining 1/4 cup parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add additional lemon to taste. 

I've found that if I prepare and assemble the ingredients before I start cooking, things move along a lot more smoothly.  I have these little half-cup, glass bowls that I put the spices in.  It's a little more difficult to assemble the bulky cut greens without dirtying multiple dishes, but I do think overall it's easier to wash dishes, than to try to play keep up while cooking. 

Yesterday, I got my new Cooking Light magazine.  It has a ton of chicken recipes that I plan to try in the near future.