Coriander & Mung Bean Soup

A few posts back, I made sweet potato and mung bean stuffed cabbage leaves. I found it to be so enjoyable, it has not left my mind. Since we have had snow, sleet, hail and rain in the last three days, I thought it was still weather appropriate to make a warm and spicy soup. So, today I made a soup like the cabbage roll filling, only lighter, spicier and easier. I worried it might be too much spice, but went for it anyway. I actually made this soup in our friends kitchen today while monitoring a play date with a 6, 5 and 3 year old. I was treated to a home grown play of Sleeping Beauty (pictures of that are coming soon!) while the soup was cooking in my pressure cooker. As soon as it was done, I offered it as a snack to the budding thespians. The three year old at first refused. The older girls (one of which is mine) agreed to try a taste. Both loved it. It took a bit, but the three year old finally tried it, and liked it as well. Tonight at dinner I made free-range meatballs to add to M's bowl of this soup. She ended up eating three bowls of meatballs with her soup. I was in awe as she kept asking for more. D and I kept looking at each other, wondering how much is enough or should we say "no"? We did ask her to take a break between helpings, specifically saying "ok sweetie, it is time to take a rest, and check in with your belly." She would sit there for 5 minutes, talk about the nature of the universe ("daddy, what came before space?") and ask for more. It took 2 trips to the stove to help herself, but finally she asked to be excused, saying she was done. I started in on the dishes and 20 minutes later she sneaked another from the bowl I was about to put in the fridge for leftovers. Just now on her way to bed, I asked how her belly was feeling.."GREAT MOM!!" she announced enthusiastically. Then she did a sit-up while hanging from her dad's shoulders upside down which she does every night before brushing her teeth and reading books.


Coriander  & Mung Bean Soup

1/4 - 1/3  cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped sweet potato
2 cloves finely diced garlic clove
1 tbls. fennel seed coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds (grind in coffee or spice grinder)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tbls. ras el-hanout powder
1 cup dried mung beans
6 cups stock
pinch salt
1 bay leaf
1 lemon (juice and zest)

In pressure cooker or soup pot, add olive oil and onion. Sautee for 5 minutes then add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, fennel and ras el-hanout. Then add carrot, celery and sweet potato. Sautee for 10 minutes and add mung beans, bay leaf and stock. Add lemon zest and juice. Cover and cook 90 minutes in soup pot or 50 minutes in pressure cooker. If using a pressure cooker, bring to full pressure and then turn down to simmer for remaining time. Season with salt after soup is cooked.