Moroccan Carrot Soup with Dukkah

Our family really enjoys this soup. We've eaten it for lunch, a side with dinner, and have even served it as a starter for a holiday dinner party. Hanna-Mae, who still occasionally needs a little coaxing with vegetables, often asks for a second serving. She's a good eater, but we're always thankful when the vegetable dish is a hit! 

Enjoyable both in the heat of summer or on cooler winter nights, this is definitely a family favorite and on regular rotation in our household!

I was first inspired to make a Moroccan flavored soup after eating at a local Mediterranean restaurant. I wanted to duplicate those delicious flavors at home.  Not having attempted anything similar previously, I looked for a recipe that suited the ingredients I had readily available in my own kitchen, and came across a Bon Appétit recipe that served as my inspiration.  It was perfect - it included simple ingredients, and didn't require a special trip to the grocery store! 

One of my simple pleasures is receiving Food & Wine magazine every month and I'd recently made the Green Vegetables with Dukka and Tahini Dressing  (because it looked delicious!). After tasting the dukkah, I knew it would be a fantastic addition to the soup. 

And so here we are, adapted from Bon Appétit and enhanced with dukkah from Food & Wine, Lemon & Figs' version of Moroccan Carrot Soup with Dukkah (and Crème Fraiche or yogurt of course!) 

Ingredients

Soup

• 2 Tbsp butter (we used grass fed)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 lb. of carrots
• 4 cups of water or broth
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• Crème Fraiche or Yogurt (your preference!) 

Dukkah

• 3 Tbsp hazelnuts
• 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Pepper
• Salt

Directions

1. Make the dukkah Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the hazelnuts on a pie plate (or cookie sheet) and cook them until they start to brown and the skins start to blister (about 10-12 minutes). Remove from the oven, and once cool enough, remove the skins (a perfect activity for your child). 
2. While the hazelnuts are toasting, heat the coriander and cumin seeds until they become fragrant (about 2-3 minutes). Don't let them burn by continually shaking the pan. Hanna-Mae was responsible for toasting the spices and really enjoyed the aroma of the coriander and the cumin as they toasted. Once toasted, pound the spices in a mortar or spice grinder (we used our coffee grinder on the espresso setting) until they are ground finely. Add the remaining ingredients, including the hazelnuts, and continue to crush the hazelnuts until they are in little bits. The dukkah can be stored in an air tight container for a couple of weeks. 
3. Make the soup Melt the butter in your soup pot (medium heat). While the butter is melting, chop your onion and garlic and add to the pot. Cook the onions until they become translucent.  Once translucent, add in the chopped carrots. Cook carrots for 2-3 minutes. Add your liquid to the pot along with a pinch of salt (we used water but you can use broth), bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until carrots are soft (30 minutes or more). Once carrots are cooked, turn off heat, add cloves, cumin & honey and let the soup cool. Once fully cooled, puree the soup. We use our Vitamix (which I love for blending soups), but you can use an immersion blender, or food processor - whatever your preference.
4. Serve the soup Reheat the soup to the temperature you'd like, ladle into bowls, add crème fraiche (or plain yogurt if you'd prefer) and sprinkle generously with dukkah. Adding some chopped parsley or cilantro would also be a nice addition.

Hope your family

enjoys this soup as much as ours!