SAM ON THE RADIO:
Cooking to Beat the Clock on A Chef's Table

Soup's On, In a Hurry:
Moroccan Chicken Soup 

Since we’re into the cold weather season it’s time for soup. My soups not only take the chill off but they can be made in a flash. That’s important during the holidays when we’re all so pressed for time. You may be wondering, “Don’t soups take a long time to make?” Yes, if you make them the traditional way. For example, you could make black bean soup by soaking dried black beans overnight, then simmering them for hours in homemade broth with a smoked pork hock. But who has time for that?

My 15-minute soups use canned beans, one of the great convenience items in any pantry. I also use the best fat-free canned chicken stock I can find. Put them together with flavor enhancers like sherry, garlic, cumin, and chipotle peppers, and you’ll have a 15-minute black bean soup that will stand up against many soups that took hours to make.

But you can’t just rely on emptying cans into a pot. I  use fresh ingredients often in my soups, whether it is fresh collard greens for a black-eyed pea soup with collard greens or fresh broccoli in a broccoli and pasta soup. In the Moroccan Chicken Soup recipe below, which appears in my book, “Cooking to Beat the Clock,” I use fresh zucchini and onions.

The most helpful piece of equipment for making fifteen-minute soups and stews is a sturdy 12-inch sauté pan. This deep skillet, which should have a capacity of four quarts or more, can make soup or stew for four to six people quickly because of its large surface area. You can also use a Dutch oven.

Not long ago, while testing some soup recipes, I learned another valuable tip for making quick soups: Heat the broth in a separate pot while you sauté onion or garlic and perhaps other vegetables like carrots or celery in the sauté pan. When the vegetables are done and seasonings added, the hot broth is poured into the sauté pan, and the soup comes to a boil almost instantly. The Moroccan Chicken Soup recipe incorporates this improvement. (Another improvement, suggested by a reader, is to use harissa, the fiery Moroccan pepper blend, in lieu of hot paprika. Look for it at Middle Eastern food stores and specialty shops.)

The broth for 15-minute soups can be chicken, beef or vegetable stock or clam juice. If you use canned beef stock or bottled clam juice, make sure you taste the soup before adding any salt because both can be quite salty. Instead of broth, you can also use milk for soups such as corn chowder or oyster stew or you can mix milk and coconut milk for a spicy Thai soup. Broth and milk can be combined for clam or seafood chowder.

I love the exotic smells and flavors of Moroccan cuisine. This dish was inspired by my collaboration with New York chef Matthew Kenney—a real Moroccan food devotee. Serve it with pocketless pita bread or other flatbread.

Moroccan Chicken Soup

5 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
Three, 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, or 18 ounces chicken tenders
1 medium onion, about 8 ounces
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon hot paprika or harissa (or 3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika mixed with 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, about 12 ounces
1/2 cup instant couscous
One 16-ounce can chickpeas
8 sprigs cilantro

1)Put the chicken in a large saucepan over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil.

2)Meanwhile, put the oil in a 12-inch saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cut the chicken into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Add to the pan, raise the heat to high, stir once or twice.

3)While the chicken browns, peel and quarter the onion and put it in a food processor. Pulse just until chopped. Or chop by hand. Add the onion, cumin, ginger, and paprika to the pan with the chicken. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, stir and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the stock to the saute pan, scraping any bits from the bottom with a wide wooden spoon. Cover and bring to a boil, about 1 minute.

4)Meanwhile,  trim the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide half moons. Add the zucchini and the couscous to the saute pan, stir, and cover.

5)Open the can of chickpeas into a small colander, rinse, and drain briefly. Add to the saute pan. Cover and let the soup return to a boil, then lower the heat slightly so the soup simmers briskly for 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. While the soup simmers, chop the cilantro leaves. Stir into the soup and serve.

Serves 4

Per serving:  426 calories, 42.2 grams protein, 39.1 grams carbohydrate, 10.9 grams fat, 1.49 grams saturated fat,  74 mg cholesterol,  994 mg sodium.