Tunisian Chicken Couscous Soup
The flavors of Tunisia and North Africa in a hearty, satisfying soup!
She knocked at the door where the new Americans had moved in and said she wanted to practice her English. Nadia was 18 years old, a beautiful, delightful, outgoing Tunisian, daughter in a large family in the neighborhood near the vegetable market, with a mother and sister who loved to cook - she hooked me with that! They taught me, the adventure-struck expat, to make Couscous, the national dish of the Maghreb (North Africa). I taught them to make brownies and apple pie and always felt that I made out better in the deal.
Couscous to Tunisians implies the main dish staple, smothered in a piquant meat and vegetable, tomato-based stew. No such frou-frou as Lemon Glazed Oxtail Couscous Salad, which no Tunisian would recognize as Couscous. The following authentic version uses chicken, though beef, fish and a spicy local sausage, merguez, often appear as the star. Couscous is a hearty, soul-soothing, family dish, just exotic enough to pique the adventurous palette, but tame enough to temper finicky appetites.
Shorba (soup) is popular in Tunisia as well but I never had a Couscous soup, but it seemed an easy jump from main dish of stew on top of couscous to a soup with the same, piquant flavors and ingredients but lighter; perfect for a light supper with the authentic taste of North Africa. Serve with a baguette - the staple bread of Tunisia due to the French colonialism of the 1800s and early 1900s. Tunis hosts a fascinating fusion cuisine scene of Patisseries and Boulangeries next to Couscous and Tagine Restaurants.
Tunisian Chicken Cous Cous Soup
2 1/2 cups water or chicken broth 2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 2 teaspoons “Better than Bouillon”)
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large carrot, peeled and diced 2 chicken breasts trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 large potato, peeled and large diced
1 cup peeled, large diced banana squash or acorn squash
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons powdered cumin
1 hot pepper, minced or dash of cayenne pepper (optional) 1/3 cup tomato paste
Pinch of crushed dried red chili peppers, or to taste
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
1 green bell pepper, seeded, cored and diced 1/2 cup quick-cooking couscous squirt of fresh lemon juice
-In medium soup pot, heat oil and fry chicken until just opaque. Remove chicken from pot and set aside. Add onion. carrot and garlic, stirring over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, cardamom, cumin, cayenne, tomato paste, dried chili peppers, water, sugar and bouillon. Stir and cover. Let simmer 15 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
-Add potatoes, squash, chickpeas and peppers. Cover and simmer until vegetables are just barely tender, stirring occasionally - about 20 minutes. (Add more water if necessary if soup becomes too thick.)
-Add couscous to soup and cook over medium heat until couscous is tender (about 10 minutes). Stir in chicken and cook another 5 minutes. Add squirt of lemon juice and stir in.
-Serve warm with a garnish of coarsely chopped Italian parsley and a few fried garbanzo beans.
-Serves 4 - 6. (Couscous soup may be made with cubed lamb, beef or white fish, if desired. If using lamb or beef, continue to cook the meat in the soup mixture as it cooks so meat becomes tender)
Garnish with parsley and fried garbanzo beans.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**Tunisian food is traditionally very hot with hot peppers and harissa. Adjust this soup to your own heat preference with the addition of more diced fresh hot peppers (jalapeno), red pepper flakes or canned harissa.
**Make the “Tunisian Salad” included on this blog, to go along with the soup. And don’t forget a baguette! (https://www.persnicketypanhandler.com/blog/tunisian-salad?rq=Salad)
**Tabil - a Tunisian spice mixture - can be more easily found in international markets these days or ordered through Amazon or Pensey Spices. It is used in virtually every savory Tunisian dish and is a mixture of cardamom, garlic and cumin. If you choose to use this spice, leave out the ground cardamom and cumin in this recipe and use the same amount of the Tabil instead.
**Harissa is usually used in this soup for the heat element along with the hot pepper. Canned harissa can also be found in international groceries. If using the harissa, add about 1 1/2 tablespoons to the soup instead of the dried red pepper flakes. Start with a small amount - taste soup, then add more if desired. Or if you prefer no heat at all, leave out the hot peppers, dried pepper flakes and add just the smallest pinch of cayenne pepper.
**To fry garbanzo beans, take about 1/2 cup of drained garbanzo beans and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a small skillet. Add beans and fry over medium-high heat until golden browned, turning frequently. Remove to paper towels to let drain.
