Moroccan Chicken and Vegetable Soup

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 1 hr
  • Active: 30 min
This fragrant soup is a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. Even if you only have half of a chicken left, use the bones for the stock and whatever meat you have left can go in at the end.
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Ingredients

1 plain rotisserie chicken

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced 1/2-inch thick, dark green tops reserved

3 stalks celery, 2 chopped, 1 cut into large chunks

1 large carrot, peels reserved, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, stems reserved

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons harissa

2 teaspoons ras el hanout or 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin (see Cook's Note)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

One 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 cups baby spinach

Plain Greek yogurt, for serving

Directions

  1. Remove the meat from the chicken and discard the skin. Chop the meat into large chunks. Cut the chicken carcass into 2 or 3 pieces and put in a large pot with the chicken broth, leek greens, chunked celery, carrot peels, garlic, cilantro stems and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 6 cups water to cover, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the carcass is falling apart and the broth is flavorful, 20 to 25 minutes. Strain the broth, discarding any solids, and reserve.
  2. Wipe the pot clean and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks, celery, carrots, zucchini and yellow squash. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the leeks begin to wilt, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the harissa, ras el hanout and tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables, cooking until the spices darken. Add the broth and chickpeas, cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the chopped chicken, cilantro leaves and the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yogurt on top.

Cook’s Note

Ras el hanout is a spice blend from North Africa that is frequently made with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin and pepper, among other spices. You can find it in the spice aisle of the supermarket or an online retailer.

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Lynnbar1

Nice spicy vegetable soup. I added 1 whole chicken and cooked it in the broth, Then deboned it.<br />I did not use leaks. I used 1 whole onion added to the cooking chicken, 20 small carrots , 5 stocks of celery, chicken broth, water, cilantro and salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 45 min.<br />Then in a saute pan I cooked 3 shallots in oil, 3 Yellow squash, 3 green squash, 1 box mushrooms and the spices to saute. I also microwaved for 3 minutes 2 sweet potatoes and put into the soup.<br /><br />Was very hot and spicy, good for a cold night!<br />Served with rice also.

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