ORANGE SOUP / THE JEWISH COOKBOOK by Leah Koenig

Leah is an expert on all things Jewish Food and is the author of 6 books(!!!) on the subject.

We met Leah back at 2014. She was covering a pop up we did for Purim for the Forward and we stayed in touch ever since. I love her writing style and the depth of research that is involved in putting this work out there. Couldn't be more proud of the work she is doing in keeping these special recipes of the Jewish diaspora alive.

Her latest one is The Jewish Cookbook, featuring more than 400 home-cooking recipes for everyday and holiday foods from the Middle East to the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa - as well as contemporary interpretations by renowned chefs including Yotam Ottolenghi and Michael Solomonov. This massive collection of recipes will introduces readers to the culinary traditions from Jewish communities around the world.

Leah kindly shared the recipe for this comforting soup with us.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6-8
This soup, which is popular everyday fare in Israel, gets its name (marak katom in Hebrew) not from citrus fruit, but from the plethora of orange vegetables—typically carrots, sweet potatoes, and some variety of squash—that make up its base. It is delicious and satisfying all on its own, but even better swirled with a little yogurt and something spicy.

INGREDIENTS • ¼ cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil • 2 medium onions, finely chopped • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 2-inch (5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped • 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lb/910 g), peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces • 2 lb (910 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces • ½ lb (225 g) carrots, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) rounds • 2 cinnamon sticks • 6 cups (1.4 liters/48 fl oz) vegetable stock, plus more as needed • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • Plain yogurt, Hawaij for Soup, or Harissa, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 15–20 minutes. Add the cinnamon sticks and stock. Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the salt and pepper. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and let the soup cool slightly, then use a hand blender to blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt, if desired. If the soup looks too thick, stir in a little more stock. Serve hot, dolloped with yogurt and topped with hawaij or harissa.

When I made it recently I changed few things, just because thats what I had on hand; Here are my notes:

I had one sweet potato left and swapped the rest with the Kabocha. (I love the flavor of squash so we usually have Kabocha, a Japanese squash with a meaty texture and unique flavor on hand during winter).
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I didn’t have vegetable broth and used water instead - it was still delicious. There is so many layers of great flavor that you won’t notice it missing.

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By now I truly hope you are sprinkling Hawaij into almost every soup you make. Truly a game changer. This magic spice dust brings so much flavor and depth. I would recommend to add it in the soup while cooking. Finish the soup as Leah suggests by adding a swirl of yogurt and harissa. You can also just serve with few shakes of the Herby Harissa.

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