Cool Weather Calls for Hot Soup

September 11, 12:18 PMDenver Food ExaminerAndrea Spikes

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Moroccan Vegetable Stew

Denver weather at this time of year is full of mood swings - cloudy, rainy, sunny, hot, cold. At the first sign of cold, I'm suddenly in the mood to make a hot soup chock full of veggies and meat.

This week, I tried a Moroccan Vegetable Stew from Eating Well Magazine and fell in love: Tons of veggies, a mere pound of stew beef, and a few uncommon spices including turmeric and saffron. The result is a stew that is subtly exotic and wholly good.

Looking for a wine pairing? Try a nicely balanced rosé such as Verdad Rosé Grenache Tempranillo 2006 ($16). In fact, a rosé is a perfect accompaniment to many Moroccan and other Mediterranean foods because of its fruit-forward profile with mineral underpinnings (in other words, not too sweet and not too dry, and doesn't compete with the subtle flavors of the dish).

Moroccan Vegetable Stew
Makes 6 servings, about 2 cups each 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 pound beef stew meat or lamb stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 cups reduced-sodium beef broth or water
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 small turnips, peeled and diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, leaves included, thinly sliced
Pinch of saffron threads
12 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus more leaves for garnish
8 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
1 large zucchini, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
2 ounces angel hair pasta, broken into small pieces (about 1/2 cup), or orzo
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and turmeric; stir to coat. Add meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth (or water), tomatoes and their juice, turnips, carrots, celery and saffron. Tie parsley and cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the meat is tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

2. Stir in zucchini and cook, covered, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook until soft, 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the type of pasta. Discard the parsley and cilantro sprigs. Season with salt (start with 1 teaspoon if you’re using beef broth; add more if you’re using water) and pepper. Serve sprinkled with parsley and/or cilantro leaves, if desired.