When you live on the edge of the Sahara, soup weather is a long
time coming. While folks back home in our respective countries update their facebook profiles with tales of cold wind and snowy mornings, in Cairo we are still walking around in flip flops and short sleeves.This week, for the first time all fall, it is predicted the temperature will not rise about 75 degrees F (24 C) - and in the evenings it has begun dipping into truly chilly, refreshing temperatures that are perfectly comfortable for walking about in clad only in a sweater.
In honor of the first days cool enough to warrant the title “Soup Weather,” Fada and I decided to have a soup exchange - I will trade a lunch of my chicken noodle soup for a lunch of her lentil soup. Below are our recipes - and you can decide for yourself which comforts you down to your chilly toes more.
Heba’s Chicken Noodle
Boil 1 whole chicken with just enough water to cover the chicken, and include 2 cloves of garlic, 1 bay leaf and a generous application of the following spices: Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, Paul Prud’hommes Poultry Seasoning (at least 2 tablespoons), Old Bay Seasoning (about 2 teaspoons), Sea Salt, and Pepper.
When the chicken is to the stage when the flesh is falling off the bone (about 90 minutes - 3 hours depending on the size of your chicken), it’s transition time! Place a colander over a bowl to catch the extra juice and transfer the chicken carcass & meat into the colander to cool down.
While the chicken cools, add the following to the broth: 1 can whole new Irish potatoes, 3 or 4 stewed tomatoes (preferably the ones that are “Italian Style”), one large onion cut into largish pieces, and some celery. If you are in to carrots and mushrooms and things, throw those in there too.
Your chicken should be cool enough to handle now. Pull it apart with your fingers and put the meat in the pot, the bones in the trash.
Simmer until onions are clear.
Add Egg Noodles or Semolina Noodles (they hold up best). If you are going to be storing a large amount of soup for lunches on later days, only let the noodles cook about 5 minutes, so they do not go soggy in storage. Cook the rest about 10 - 15 minutes and enjoy.
The memories are of sick days in winter when I’d stayed home from school; my windows covered in frost, an 80’s movie on the television, and mom bringing me a bowl of chicken noodle soup in bed to soothe my whining.
Fada's Lentil Soup (and you can leave the lentils out and make it just plain vegetable if you want)
Fry a roughly chopped medium onion in vegetable oil until transparent. Add about a kilo of chopped carrots and then a head of celery together with fresh rosemary, thyme, parsley (a good handful of this) and cinnamon (because this is Egypt and everything has cinnamon in it!). Fry for a few minutes then add 200 grams of rinsed lentils (doesn't matter what colour). Simmer in about a litre of water until everything is soft - about 45 mins - and whizz or mash, depending on your implements. You may have to add some water as the lentils absorb it.
This is a very hearty soup, just right for when you come in from chilly weather. It's better the day after too as the flavours seem to have time to meld, so perfect for taking into work in a tub and heating in a microwave, which is exactly what I'm going to do tomorrow. I've made many soups but, for me, the combination of onions, carrots and celery as a base seems to work the best. I don't actually like celery raw but they have a peppery flavour cooked which I love and that, together with the sweetness of the carrots and onion is a perfect combination.
I don't have any particular memories to go with this recipe, only layers of memories of wintry evenings, with the dark closing in, the kitchen a bit steamed up, but everyone warm inside and enjoying a soup with bread and often cheese, slices of meat, pate.
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