Broth, Beans, and Harissa Dreams
Conlan
5/19/20262 min read
During the usual hustle and bustle of my weekend running errands and doing chores around the house, yet again the question that kept racing in my mind was: “what in the HECK am I making for Soup Club?”. I had been enjoying a return to classics like the lemon ‘chicken’ and rice that Kevin last week, but couldn’t think of one we hadn’t done, or was struggling to find one that could fit within Soup’r Club’s rigid guidelines (looking at you ‘chicken’ and dumpling).
Thinking over it, I didn’t want anything super thick, but I did want something simple. Something with a little heat, something hearty, maybe smoky? And on top of all of this we were supposed to have THE Habanero Harman at Soup Club! I thought of the ones we had and how to tailor a soup to one of his sauces to really show off his sauces, and it hit me. Harissa! For those who don’t know, Harissa is a absolutely delicious ingredient used in North African cuisine, usually in the form of a paste, made from chili peppers, oil, garlic, and aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, and caraway. Think of it like Sriracha’s earthier, smokier cousin. And it would be perfect for the Smoked Red Fresno sauce from Harman. Unfortunately, come to find out day-of: Habanero Harman remains elusive from Soup’r Club’s wiles, though I hear he is coming around shortly…
I got to work, figuring out how to make Harissa, what soup I could do, and came up with a concoction that while not my best work in my humble opinion, was still absolutely delightful. The white beans provide an almost creamy texture while the potatoes and carrots cooked right give a slight crunch while being cooked through. But the real star of the show here, was the broth. Smoky, spicy, savory, it hit just the right notes to warm your belly and give a little tingle at the back of your throat.
Overall the ratings from the club were souperb. Kevin came in strong with a 10.0 without hot sauce! That’s unheard of! That being said, he said that the Smoked Red Fresno sauce from Habanero Harman perfectly complimented the flavor, even though the extra heat and flavor was not necessary. Followed up by Josephene with a 9, and Jeff with an 8.6, their feedback was primarily that it needed some more veggies to add to the overall body, and jeff per usual didn’t like it being so brothy. Adam, Nathan, and Tam rounded this out however with a 9.75, 9.99, and 9.5 respectively. Doing the math, that’s an average of 9.47, which has got to be a top contender for one of the best Soup’r Club soups of all time. We even got a 9 from Felton with no meat, and some compliments from our member “on break”, Andy. We miss ya buddy.
Taking in their feedback and using my own hindsight, I probably would have liked to add some more veggies, swapping the baby golds for sweet potatoes, and adding some other common veggies from North African (or more specific Tunisian) cuisine like eggplant or zucchini, maybe some lentils as well. Either way, this soup is delectable, and I will absolutely make this again sometime, though with the aforementioned changes. Additionally, I would change my Harissa Paste recipe slightly, as this version was good, but not anywhere close to a traditional one, missing the chilis and tomatoes typically seen in recipes, just to add that extra kick.
