Q: The Moroccan chicken soup at Cayenne Restaurant on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles is absolutely delicious and unlike any other chicken soup I’ve ever had. It is so good that I find it takes great effort for me to order anything else from the menu. Can you get the recipe?
A: Cayenne was happy to share its recipe for this delicately spiced soup, which we’ve adapted here.
CAYENNE’S MOROCCAN CHICKEN SOUP
Note: Adapted from a recipe by executive chef Noura Elnasser of Cayenne. Cracked wheat can be found at select cooking and health food stores, as well as online.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 cooked boneless and skinless chicken breast, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
- 1/3 cup diced tomato
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup cracked wheat No. 1 (fine grind)
- 4 to 5 cups chicken broth, more if desired
Add the oil to a large pot heated over medium-high heat until hot. Stir in the onion and saute until softened and starting to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic.
Stir in the carrots, celery, chicken, garbanzo beans, tomato, bay leaves, basil, curry powder and cinnamon. Season with one-half teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir for a few minutes to warm the vegetables.
Stir in the cracked wheat and 4 cups broth, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, loosely covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired; we added an additional three-fourths teaspoon salt (seasoning will vary depending on the chicken broth used and personal taste). The soup may be a bit thick; add more broth to thin if desired. This makes about 1 1/2 quarts soup. Servings: 6.
Each serving: 148 calories, 11 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 4 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 18 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams sugar, 1,186 milligrams sodium.
