Moroccan Chicken Soup with Chickpeas and Preserved Lemons

This recipe combines the heartiness of classic chicken vegetable soup with the flavors of roasted Moroccan chicken and curry flavors. For the freshest and most nutritious soup I use homemade chicken stock. Preserved lemons might be hard to find at your average grocery store which is why I just make them ahead of time. I had also found that roasting a chicken in the oven with spices and olive oil allows for the most tender, shredded meat for the soup. If you don’t have any chicken stock on hand, you can use the bones from the chicken and make your own. If you already have some ready, that’s great, because you can then freeze the bones and have it ready to go for next time! The recipe uses a whole butternut squash, carrots, red potatoes and chickpeas for heartiness and flavor. A few tablespoons of spicy Moroccan Harissa paste and a curry spice blend is all that it needs to take this soup to the next level! I was very happy with the results and will be incorporating it into my weekly meals! The recipe yields a lot of soup so it makes a perfect weekday dinner.

Moroccan Chicken Soup with Chickpeas and Preserved Lemons
(Makes 8-10 Servings)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs.)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water

For the Soup:

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 10 cups homemade chicken stock
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp harissa
• 28 oz. diced tomatoes
• 5-6 small red potatoes, chopped
• 4 15 oz. cans (60 oz.) chickpeas, drained and washed
• 2 preserved lemons, pith removed, washed and sliced
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• Greek yogurt, for garnish
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish
• Lemon slices and juice, for garnish
• Moroccan flat bread, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix together the paprika, ginger, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon.
2. Place the chicken in a glass baking dish and rub with olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  Pat the curry spice blend all over the chicken evenly.
3. Add a 1/2 cup of water to the dish, cover the chicken with foil and bake for about 2 hours, or until an internal thermometer reads 165F.*
4. While the chicken is baking, prepare the harissa paste. Instructions found here.
5. In a large 10 qt. sauce pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add the onion, cook for 2-3 minutes on high.
6. Stir in  the harissa and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
7. Add the carrots, butternut squash, potatoes, preserved lemons, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, and ginger to the pot.
8. Pour in the chicken stock and turn the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to lowest setting once it reaches a rolling boil and cook until the potatoes and veggies are fork tender, about 45 minutes.
9. While the soup continues to cook, the chicken should be almost done. Once it has reached 165F, remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes before shredding.
10. Remove the skin and shred the chicken into bite sized pieces. Freeze the bones and skin for another stock batch.
11. Turn off the heat on the soup and remove from the burner. Let cool uncovered for about 5 minutes.
12. Stir in the chicken and serve with Greek yogurt and cilantro for garnish.

*At this stage, if you don’t have chicken stock already made you can use the bones and make your own. You won’t be able to make the stock and soup all in one day since making it can take 5-8 hours to finish. Instructions found here.