After eating stodgy comfort food I’m craving lighter and healthier meals. Soup is the perfect choice, easy after work meals packed with veg and pulses and still warming during a cold January in London. I cook two types of lentil soup, the smooth Egyptian red lentil soup and this Algerian version using green lentils which is more brothy. Both soups are cut with the acidic lemon and coriander to serve.
Maria Luisa Scott and Jack Denton Scotts have traveled the world and collected its recipes in their many books. This is from “A World of Pasta”. Posted for ZWT3 – Northern Africa. The lentils must be soaked for 2 hours before cooking so plan ahead.
The best way to describe these beans is a spicier version of English baked beans! Haricot beans are cooked in a tomato sauce flavoured with lots of garlic, cumin & paprika. This recipe is for the way I cook it most – the slow cook way – but you can make it easily in a pressure cooker; just reduce the water to a total of 2 litres, add a chicken stock cube & take care with the seasoning. It should only take 45-50 mins in the pressure cooker. If you have any Algerian hot green peppers, this is really nice with 1-2 thrown in half way through! N.B: Time to make doesn’t include overnight soaking of the beans.
This Algerian dish offers oodles of taste and plenty of healthy carb’s and protein to norish and up the energy levels. Serve with a good bread to mop up the delicious juices.
This recipe is from “Extending the Table” and is meant to be eaten with couscous. If you prefer, substitute goat or lamb for the chicken.
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