This highly-flavored soup relies on an exotic mix of spices to provide its complexity.

Last Monday, she was surprised to discover a long weekend punctuating the end of her week. Her weekend plans were already set – big plans – plans to simmer soups and trim gangly backyard bushes; plans to kick her blogging back in gear and plans for uninterrupted hours of reading. Plans to nest and regroup, really. Once she realized the calendar was gifting her today as a bonus (Columbus Day, really?), her mind turned instead to great escapes, her grand plans easily slipping away – the simmering, the trimming, the blogging, the nesting. Her mind has been on a roller coaster of late and, even more than her kitchen, miles of asphalt between her and her problems pacify troubled thoughts. Her first idea was a hotel and mineral springs nestled in an oasis of desert palms about 90 minutes from home – tranquility and a lobotomy brought to you by three days of pruney soaks. Sadly, her budget and their rates did not align. Her next solution, further afield, was a rustic riverside cabin sheltered within a shaded grove of pines. Sold out. Disheartened, she resigned herself to stay home, with soup and bushes and blog and books, wishing to be somewhere else entirely.

Flashing back to 2009, I developed this Moroccan-inspired soup as part of my culinary school final. Unique spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric result in an exotically complex flavor that won over Chef as well as the other students.

Moroccan Berber Soup

• Servings: 12
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This highly-flavored soup relies on an exotic mix of spices to provide its complexity.

Ingredients

• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 28 oz. whole canned San Marzano tomatoes with juice, chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 7 oz. fideo pasta (found in Hispanic section of well-stocked markets) or capellini
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Salt and freshly-ground pepper
• Plain yogurt, for garish

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, sauté onion, celery and carrot in a bit of oil until softened. Add the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper and sauté until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes with juice and chicken stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrot is soft.
2. Add fideo pasta and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with plain yogurt and serve.