Spicy Moroccan Zucchini & Cauliflower soup – a perfect soup :)

optifast intensive soup recipe

Hello everyone,

I tricked my husband last night, I had been working on the flavours for this soup yesterday and when he came home from work I served him a bowl and asked him what he thought was in it. 

Well, he thought it was like a “spicy Arabic lamb shank soup”. He asked me where I got the shanks from ?! Now being a vegetarian for a long time, I am not the right one to attest to his claims, but for those who like the taste of a “meaty” soup minus the “meat”, this one may be for you …..

You don’t need to do the fiddly toppings bits if you can’t be bothered, just the soup on its own with a squeeze of lemon is awesome. It’s an easy one to do, just make sure you blitz really well to get a nice smooth finish. 

In regards to the colour – I used a very deep red coloured Harissa by Souhk, a Tunisian brand. In using the Harissa available at the supermarket (normally in a tube) it was a browner colour, still tasted amazing but didn’t give off that orange/yellow colour. Just something to keep in mind, that is does depend on the colour of the Harissa you are using. 

A perfect Optifast intensive soup recipe too !

Cheerio, Joni

5 Moorocan zucc cauli soup spoon

image 01 Moorocan zucc cauli soup hands

6 Moorocan zucc cauli soup close up spoon

 

Spicy Moroccan Zucchini & Cauliflower soup
Yields 6
Note: this recipe includes almond essence so it is NOT nut-free. A spicy soup that tastes very "meaty" despite being vegan ! Very filling and warming on cold autumn days. Excellent Optifast intensive soup recipe !
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 tbs olive oil
  2. 2 brown onions
  3. 1 tbs Harissa paste (see notes)
  4. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  5. 1 tsp ground coriander
  6. 1 tsp ground cumin
  7. 1/2 tsp almond essence
  8. 4 cups of zucchini (approx. 2 medium), peeled and roughly chopped (reserve the peel in a bowl for later)
  9. 1 cup of cauliflower florets & stem, peeled and roughly chopped
  10. 4 cups stock, I use Masell vegan chicken stock (1 litre), warmed (+ 2 cups more if needed)
  11. Juice of one lemon
Instructions
  1. Add olive oil to the medium pan, add onion, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and Harissa paste. Cook for five mins until nicely browned, making sure it doesn't burn as the Harissa paste may stick to the bottom of the pan. Set aside 1/4 cup of this onion mix if you like as a crunchy topping.
  2. Next add the cauliflower, zucchini & almond essence. Stir until the vegetables are coated in the browned onion mixture. Add the warmed stock.
  3. Cover and cook for 20 mins. You may need to add more stock if it reduces too much. You want it to still be watery but still be seeing all the chunky vegetables at the surface.
  4. Blitz with a stick blender in the pot until silky smooth. Taste and season with black pepper if needed or cayenne if you want a little more heat.
  5. Optional : Get your zucchini peel and slice thinly length wise until you have thin strips. Mix with 1/2 tsp Harissa paste in a bowl. Heat a small frypan with 1 tbs of olive oil. Remember that this will not be totally absorbed into your peel.
  6. Once hot, almost smoking, add your zucchini peels to cover the bottom of the pan (not all at once). Fry until crispy. Add any reserved onions and carefully stir around with a pair of tongs. Once nicely browned remove and drain onto paper towel.
  7. Serve with the zucchini peel, cracked black pepper, lemon juice and also some small lemon segments if you can be bothered.
Notes
  1. Harissa Paste is available from -
  2. Australia - Coles : Josh & Sue Rose Harissa 180g (high quality paste) & Woolworths Australia : Le Phare Du Cap Bon Harissa Tube 140g.
  3. New Zealand - Peplers (http://www.peplers.co.nz/product/harissa-paste-300ml-round-jar/) and other Arabic type supermarkets or delicatessens. I couldn't find it at Countdown stores.
  4. All the vegetables can be supplemented with any others that you like.
  5. Do not use the almond essence if you want it nut-free for allergies.
  6. Add more fresh chilli if you are a chilli fiend or reduce the amount of Harissa if you are not !
Opti Cook https://opticook.org/
  1. Kathryn
    May 13, 2016

    This soup is absolutely delicious, mine wasn’t orange like the picture curious how you got that colour. Easy soup to make hubby had two bowls of it he loved it so much!!

    • Joni Condos
      May 13, 2016

      Hi Kathryn ! So glad you enjoyed it. I’ve has a few emails about the colour, I made it with a very dark red Souhk Harissa by Medfoods which is from Tunisia. I made it again with the regular tube of Harissa from the supermarket and it was more a brown colour. So I think I’ll stick the the Souhk one as I loved that deep yellow/orange colour. I’ll add it to the notes in the recipe I think just so people know & thanks for letting me know, Joni

  2. LKS
    May 18, 2016

    Hi, could this be made in a soup maker or does it need to be cooked on the stove top to bring out the flavours?

    • Joni Condos
      May 18, 2016

      Hi Lyndal !

      Does your soup maker allow for browning off at the beginning ? if it does that would be fine . If it doesn’t have that I would do it on the stove top, as there is no added “sweet” element ie. sugar, it does need the caremalising process at the start to properly balance the flavours.

      Hope this helps, Joni

  3. Kaye
    May 19, 2016

    Hi Joni

    This soup looks wonderful. I’m assuming that due to the zucchini that freezing wouldn’t be advised, but I thought I would ask you just to be sure.

    Many thanks

    Kaye

    • Joni Condos
      May 19, 2016

      Hi Kaye, it’s more for the zucchini noodles and chips, I think that the cauliflower would help stabilise the zucchini in the freezer, it may come out a bit watery, so you would need to blend it again I reckon. Let me know as we ate it all before I had a chance to freeze any ! Cheers Joni

  4. linley
    May 28, 2016

    Loved the soup. Made it again today with a few changes. Used red onions and added two carrots and used veggie stock and didn’t add lemon. Apart from the brown color it was so delicious.

  5. Dee
    June 8, 2016

    Your soup is the best soup I have ever made LOVE IT

    • Joni Condos
      June 8, 2016

      Why thank you Dee ! Another fracker coming this afternoon in fact …. Wink , Joni X