Atlas Mountain Soup

I just had to share this with you all! This soup, which is more like a stew, is sustaining enough to make a complete meal if accompanied by some good, crusty bread. The meat, combined with spices and with a tang of lemon and apricots, has the flavor of North Africa.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 405 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 large green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup chopped dried apricots
• 4 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Soak the apricots in water for 2 hours or more until soft; drain.

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and paprika; cook and stir for 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium-high, crumble in the ground lamb, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until browned. Stir in the drained apricots, celery, green pepper, and tomato.

Step 3

Using a vegetable peeler, shave 5 - 6 strips of rind off the lemon and add to the soup with the juice of the lemon. Stir in the water and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently for half an hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.