Moroccan Spiced Chicken Soup

Baby, it's cold outside! Warm up your home and your family with a hot bowl full of healthy vegetables and hearty shredded chicken. Spiced with cumin, curry and paprika, the onions, celery and carrots are simmered along with shredded chicken, chickpeas and chopped zucchini. This Moroccan soup is more likely to be served as a light supper rather than as a first course. These will be leftovers the family will ask for! Reheat  and serve over rice, quinoa or couscous.

This recipe is highly customizable! Use what vegetables your family likes, or what vegetables you have on hand. Here is what I used:

Olive Oil
Onion
Carrot
Celery
Garlic
Dry Sherry
Ginger
Chicken
Chickpeas
Crushed Tomatoes
Chicken Stock
Spices
Zucchini
Chicken Bouillon

I know I didn't list amounts above, that is because you should feel free to use as much or as little of the ingredients as you like. Here is the step by step pictorial of what I did:

In a large and heavy dutch oven I added about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and added 1 large yellow onion chopped, 3 stalks of celery (including the leaves) chopped, 3 carrots chopped and sauteed over medium heat for about 15 minutes until soft. I added 6 chopped garlic cloves last, because garlic can burn I added it at the end. Stir for a minute until fragrant, then pour in 2 tablespoons of dry sherry to deglaze the pot. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen any stuck veggies and browned bits.

Next, add the warm Moroccan spices:
1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder
1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Ground Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Once all the spices are added, stir to coat the veggies.

I add one can (14.5 ounces) of crushed tomatoes.

Add 32 ounces of chicken stock.

Add one can (14.5 ounces) chick peas, drained.

I took four small boneless skinless chicken breasts and rinsed them under cold water and trimmed any ugly parts off of them. Then I blotted with a paper towel and coated in olive oil. In a small baking dish I sprinkled with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, curry powder and smoked paprika.

Bake at 350 for one hour or until cooked through. When pieced with a knife, the juices should run clear.

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before shredding with two forks and adding it to the simmering soup.

Not pictured is fresh ginger that I trimmed the skin off of, then rubbed over a zester until I had about a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger. Add this to the soup, it adds a wonderful spice!

I washed 2 medium sized zucchini and then sliced in half lengthwise and then diced in half crosswise to make about 2 cups of half moon cuts.

Stir everything together and let simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and do any last minute adjustments. I wanted more liquid so I added one cup of water and 1/2 chicken bouillon cube.

By now the flavors are married and have permeated the veggies.  Ladle into bowls and serve with Naan bread or pita bread.

This Moroccan soup could easily be vegetarian by omitting the chicken and using vegetable stock instead. Butternut squash would be excellent cubed in this soup or even potato. Try green beans or lintels. Make it your own, and enjoy!