Cozy comfort in a bowl—this dish with charred vegetables offers flavours from Tunisia and other regions in the Middle East. And who wouldn’t want a bowl of Middle Eastern spices to warm the tongue while satisfying the belly on a cold winter night?
Make mine a meal
Jazz up soup into a stew by puréeing it only a bit to keep it chunky. Stir in canned lentils and fold in some chopped spinach or kale for a festive seasonal colour. Round up the flavours with a smattering of coarsely chopped Marcona almonds, dollops of thick plain yogurt, and fresh mint.
Soup with Charred Veggies and Spicy Harissa
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 L) grape tomatoes
- 1 cup (250 mL) peeled and diced sweet potato
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 cup (250 mL) diced carrot
- 1 cup (250 mL) diced celery
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) slivered sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) harissa seasoning or paste
- 6 cups (1.5 L) low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1 tsp (5 mL) apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) maple syrup
- Salt and pepper (optional)
- Toppings: cilantro, mint, toasted croutons, creamy plain yogurt, barberries, or pomegranate arils (optional)
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories119
- protein3 g
- fat4 g
- sat. fat1 g
- total carbohydrates19 g
- sugars10 g
- fibre4 g
- sodium214 mg
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line large baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
02
In large bowl, combine tomatoes, diced sweet potato, red pepper, and garlic. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil and toss to lightly coat. Spread out on baking sheet in an even layer. Roast in centre of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until vegetables are lightly charred.
03
In large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add remaining olive oil, diced onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté, stirring often, until onions are soft and clear and carrots and celery are just turning slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Add a splash of water, if necessary, to keep vegetables from sticking. Add sun-dried tomatoes and harissa and stir in. Then add vegetable stock and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and set aside while vegetables in oven finish roasting.
04
When oven-roasted vegetables are done as you like, transfer along with any of their precious juices to saucepan with vegetable stock mixture. Stir in, return to heat, and bring to a gentle boil to fully amalgamate flavours. Stir in vinegar and maple syrup. Using hand-held stick blender or high-speed blender, purée mixture until smooth and creamy. Add a splash more vinegar coupled with salt and pepper, to taste, if you wish.
05
Serve steaming hot in mugs or bowls with your choice of toppings. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for longer storage.
Irene McGuinness is a writer, recipe developer, food stylist for numerous magazines and corporations, and alumna of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University
