🎃 Exotic Moroccan Pumpkin Soup: A Flavorful Fusion Delight 🍲

Moroccan Pumpkin Soup (L’hamraak Garagh)

🕒 Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
🕒 Prep Time: 12 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 1 hour 42 minutes

🥣 Description: Dive into the flavors of Morocco with this aromatic and soul-warming Moroccan Pumpkin Soup, known as L’hamraak Garagh, a delightful blend of spices and seasonal pumpkin. This recipe brings together the rich cultural heritage of Southwest Asia, featuring a fusion of Moroccan, African, and European influences. Perfect for chilly winter evenings, festive occasions like Christmas, Hanukkah, or Thanksgiving, or simply as a nourishing weeknight meal. This dish is not only bursting with flavor but also packs a nutritional punch, making it a healthy and hearty option for all.

🥕 Recipe Category: Vegetable
🔑 Keywords: Southwest Asia (Middle East), Moroccan, African, Asian, European, Low Protein, Low Cholesterol, Healthy, Kosher, Potluck, Winter, Spicy, Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Weeknight, Stove Top, Small Appliance, < 4 Hours, Easy

Nutritional Information (per serving):

• Calories: 233.5
• Fat Content: 8.2g
• Saturated Fat Content: 1.3g
• Cholesterol Content: 0mg
• Sodium Content: 1067.7mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 30.8g
• Fiber Content: 5.4g
• Sugar Content: 10.2g
• Protein Content: 11.1g

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried garbanzo beans
• 3 leeks
• 3 onions
• 8 cups chicken broth (for vegan option, use vegetable broth)
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 – 4 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup honey (for vegan option, omit honey)
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon)
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare Chickpeas: Cover the chickpeas with water and allow to soak overnight.
2. Saute Leeks: In a large pot, sauté the leeks in oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, approximately 5-10 minutes.
3. Add Ingredients: Add the chicken broth (or vegetable broth), pumpkin cubes or puree, soaked chickpeas, honey, spices (cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), and salt to the pot.
4. Simmer: Cover and simmer the soup until the chickpeas are tender, about 1 1/4 hours.
5. Adjust Seasoning: If using a cinnamon stick, discard it. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
6. Optional Puree: If desired, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.
7. Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper. Serve hot and enjoy the comforting flavors of Moroccan Pumpkin Soup!

Note: Sugar pumpkins are recommended for this recipe as they are ideal for eating. They are smaller and sweeter compared to ornamental carving pumpkins. For a vegan option, omit honey, and for a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.