Harissa spiced Chickpeas and Wild Rice, Whole Wheat Soup - Yottam Ottolenghi Inspired...

Harissa, the North African chili paste that is popular in Tunisia, Libya and Algeria is one of my favorite spice pastes. I am not sure about the authenticity of the harissa that I got hooked on to first. It was the Cava brand Harissa paste from Cava Mezze Foods which is an extension of their Cava Mezze restaurant in DC. I first bought them in Whole Foods after being mesmerized by its bright red color. It did not disappoint. Perfect as a spread for bagels, toasts and as a spice and flavoring agent for noodles, pastas and soups.

I do not visit Whole Foods much anymore so I eagerly grabbed a jar when I saw it in Wegmans, but unlike Cava this paste was way too salty to be used as a spread but was perfect for cooking.

I saw this recipe for Spicy Chickpea and Bulgar Soup and once I read through the recipe and found that the main flavoring came for Harissa, there was no way I was not going to try it. Also flavoring soups with Harissa is right up my alley like I did with this butternut squash soup. Looks like Yotam Ottolenghi was thinking of a soup along the same lines ....

I did not have barley but I had some Wild Rice and Whole Wheat to be used up and they were perfect in this soup. I am sure any whole grain or even brown/red rice will go well in this soup. Do not add grain that tend to go mushy when cooked though. I did not add carrot and celery in the soup because both of those remind of the tasteless ubiquitous chicken noodle soup.

The recipe itself very simple and mostly ingredients that are readily available in the pantry. Not having Harissa should not be a reason not to try this soup. Use any chili paste/sauce that you like. It is not Harissa but it will still be good.

As the temperature continues to drop and the days grow shorter soups like these have the ability to warm you up completely. I do not like cheese in my soup but if you do you can make the feta cheese paste suggested in the recipe to add to the soup.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven and when hot add the onions and garlic and saute till the onions are translucent. Add the harissa paste, saute for a couple of minutes followed by the cumin and coriander powder and saute for a minute more.
Cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker and the wild rice and while wheat in a rice cooker or stove top till they are fully cooked.
Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook till it gets mushy, about 5 minutes . Add the chopped coriander leaves and saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the cooked chick peas and mix it in.
Add 3 cups of water and let it come to a boil and continue to cook for about 10-12 minutes. When the soup starts to thicken a bit, add in the cooked wild rice and whole wheat and let cook for another 5 minutes in a gently simmer.

Harissa Spiced Chickpeas and Wild Rice, Whole Wheat Soup
Preparation Time:15 minutes + overnight soaking
Cooking Time:30 minutes
Ingredients

1. 2 cups chickpeas soaked overnight
2. 1/2 cup wild rice
3. 1/2 whole wheat washed and soaked for about 1/2 hour
4. 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions or shallots
5. About 8-10 small small tomatoes chopped into fours
6. 4 garlic cloves chopped or crushed
7. handful of chopped coriander leaves
8. 1 1/2 tbsp Harissa paste
9. 1 tsp cumin powder
10. 2-3 tsp coriander powder
11. 1 tsp pepper powder
12. salt to taste
13. 2 tsp of olive oil

Method

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and when hot add the onions and garlic and saute till the onions are translucent.
2. Add the harissa paste, saute for a couple of minutes followed by the cumin and coriander powder and saute for a minute more.
3. Cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker and the wild rice and while wheat in a rice cooker or stove top till they are fully cooked. Drain the chickpeas and set aside.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook till it gets mushy, about 5 minutes . Add the chopped coriander leaves and saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the cooked chick peas and mix it in.
5. Add 3 cups of water and let it come to a boil and continue to cook for about 10-12 minutes. The soup will start to thicken at this time, add in the cooked rice and whole wheat and it gently simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Turn off the heat.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped jalapeno peppers.

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