Hlelem (Tunisian Vegetable and Bean Soup)

Makes about 150 individual candies

Packed with beans and greens, this slightly spicy vegetable soup is both tasty and good for you. Harissa is a Tunisian hot sauce or paste usually made with hot chiles, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway, and olive oil. It’s available in cans, jars, or tubes from Middle Eastern markets and specialty stores. Or, make your own.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dried lima or butter beans
  • 1/2 cup dried chickpeas
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 3/4 cup minced onion
  • 1 qt Chicken Broth
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 4 large Swiss chard leaves, stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces, leaves shredded
  • 1/3 cup angel hair pasta, broken into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons Harissa
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Directions

  1. Soak the dried lima beans and chickpeas separately overnight in three times their volume of water. Drain and cook them separately in two times their volume of fresh water until they are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and reserve the cooking water from both the lima beans and chickpeas. Combine the lima beans and chickpeas; set aside. Combine the cooking waters and set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 6 minutes.
  3. Add the broth, reserved bean cooking liquid, and the tomato paste. Mix together until well blended and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Approximately 10 minutes before serving, add the cooked beans and chick peas, the Swiss chard, and the pasta. Simmer until the pasta and chard stems are tender, about 10 minutes.
  5. Add the harissa and stir until blended. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls, garnished with the chopped parsley.

CIA FOODIES


Hlelem (Tunisian Vegetable and Bean Soup)

Hlelem (Tunisian Vegetable and Bean Soup)
Makes about 150 individual candies Packed with beans and greens, this slightly spicy vegetable soup is both tasty and good for you. Harissa is a Tunisian hot sauce or paste usually made with hot chiles, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway, and olive oil. It’s available in cans, jars, or tubes from Middle Eastern markets and specialty stores. Or, make your own.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dried lima or butter beans
  • 1/2 cup dried chickpeas
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 3/4 cup minced onion
  • 1 qt Chicken Broth
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 4 large Swiss chard leaves, stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces, leaves shredded
  • 1/3 cup angel hair pasta, broken into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons Harissa
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Directions

  1. Soak the dried lima beans and chickpeas separately overnight in three times their volume of water. Drain and cook them separately in two times their volume of fresh water until they are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and reserve the cooking water from both the lima beans and chickpeas. Combine the lima beans and chickpeas; set aside. Combine the cooking waters and set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 6 minutes.
  3. Add the broth, reserved bean cooking liquid, and the tomato paste. Mix together until well blended and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Approximately 10 minutes before serving, add the cooked beans and chick peas, the Swiss chard, and the pasta. Simmer until the pasta and chard stems are tender, about 10 minutes.
  5. Add the harissa and stir until blended. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls, garnished with the chopped parsley.

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One Comment

  1. the directions do not specify when to add and cook the beans. Step 4 instructs adding the COOKED beans 10 minutes before serving. when do you cook the beans?

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