Moroccan Vegetable Soup (Chorba) -- Charity Souper Bowl

Charity Souper Bowl entry -- go here to find out about this worthwhile cause!  Thank you for sharing, Kelsey!

I just decided to make this soup for lunch when I read Kelsey's post:

"It's obvious I love food. I mean, isn't that why all of us are here giving this little ol' blog a bit of our time? Food not only nourishes us, but it can calm us, excite us, and bring us together. But food's not the only thing that can do that.  Branny, of Branny Boils Over, knows that. She loves and knows her food, but she also loves animals with every fiber of her being. Whenever she talks about her beloved pups, you can just tell she'd do anything for them. In fact, she'd do anything to help any animal in need. That's why she's hosting her Charity Souper Bowl. You see, just by sending her the info on this post and having her link it up to her blog, Branny will donate $1.00 to the ASPCA."

I would like to dedicate this entry to Boots, our sweet orange tabby that has been missing since Dec. 1st.  I am still hoping that he is alive and well somewhere.  I have been leaving food outside but nobody has seen Boots, even though we set up the humane trap as well, hoping to lure him inside with yummy treats.  We caught and quickly released quite a few other cats (as well as one raccoon and one possum) but no Boots...  I am hoping that he found hiding spots farther away from home and there are kind people who leave food outside so he is not hungry...  We miss you, Bootsie, please come home!

Moroccan Vegetable Soup (Chorba)


http://www.eatingwell.com/

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 pound beef stew meat, (such as chuck) or lamb stew meat (shoulder or leg), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used lean beef stew meat)
6 cups reduced-sodium beef broth, or water (I used chicken broth)
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 small turnips, peeled and diced (skipped, don't care about turnips)
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, leaves included, thinly sliced
Pinch of saffron threads (didn't have any so just used some ground saffron for color)
12 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus more leaves for garnish (used Italian parsley)
8 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish (didn't have any)
1 large zucchini, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 ounces angel hair pasta, (capellini), broken into small pieces (about 1/2 cup), or orzo, preferably whole-wheat (used mini farfelles)
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and turmeric; stir to coat.
3. Add meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, carrots, and celery. 
5. Add a pinch of saffron for color.
6. Tie parsley sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pot. 
7. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the meat is tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
8. Stir in zucchini and cook, covered, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
9. Add pasta and cook until soft, 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the type of pasta.
10. Discard the parsley and cilantro sprigs.
11. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
12. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.

My soup is almost ready... the aroma is heavenly... tastes great, too!  Time to slice fresh bread and let hungry guys eat.  They have been patiently waiting, while playing some kind of football video game, for the past hour, lol.