Moroccan Lamb and Tomato Soup

Name: Moroccan Lamb and Tomato Soup
Yield: Makes 3 Quarts (12 First-Course Servings or 6-8 Main-Course Servings)
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole; 2 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced crosswise; 1 onion, finely chopped; 4 lamb shanks (about 4 pounds total) or 2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 1 tablespoon water for 30 minutes; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger; 8 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped; 1 quart chicken broth or water, or more as needed; 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped; 8 assorted mild dried chiles such as ancho, guajillo, and chilhuacle negro, in any combination, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes to soften, drained and seeded; 2 cloves garlic; Salt; Pepper

Preparation info

Makes
3 Quarts

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cooking

By James Peterson

Published 2007

About

This soup takes time. You have to find and cook lamb shanks (although lamb stew meat will do in a pinch) ahead of time, and then simmer the meat and broth with a trio of typical Moroccan spices: saffron, ginger, and cinnamon. This soup is marvelous ladled over couscous or rice and topped with a dollop of harissa.

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks (about 4 pounds total) or 2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
1

Africa
Morocco
Starter
Main course
Gluten-free
Mediterranean
Spicy
Soup

Method

In a pot just large enough to hold all the soup, combine the lamb, onion, carrots, garlic, and 1 quart broth, or as needed just to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer for about 3 hours, or until the meat offers no resistance when poked with a skewer. As the meat cooks, turn it every now