Inside The Spice House – Expanding Our Culinary Horizons!

Ras el Hanout is a Moroccan spice blend that can contain up to 40 different spices, making it one of the most complex and diverse spice blends around – essentially an entire spice rack in one! Many of you may already be familiar with it, perhaps even having it in your kitchen, as it has long been a favourite in The Spice House kitchen. Popular across North Africa, the name Ras el Hanout translates to “head of the shop” in Arabic, signifying a selection of the finest spices available. In the days of the spice trade, it was often given to a trader’s most valued customers as a mark of distinction.

Ras el Hanout is a warm, earthy spice blend that perfectly balances sweet and spicy flavors. It serves as an excellent rub or marinade for nearly any type of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or vegetables, whether you’re grilling or roasting. Traditionally used in Moroccan tagines—slow-cooked savory stews made in pyramid-shaped earthenware vessels—Ras el Hanout adds a deep, complex flavor. It’s also fantastic for flavoring North African meatballs, especially when combined with ground lamb or beef. At The Spice House, we love tossing fresh vegetables with olive oil and Ras el Hanout before roasting or grilling, creating a wonderfully flavourful vegetable dish that never disappoints.

During this time of year in Cyprus, with sunny, warm days and chilly nights, we often enjoy a simple ‘soup and salad’ for supper. Here are two of our favourite soups, each featuring the flavourful Ras el Hanout blend!

Ras el hanout, lentil and roast chicken soup

Ras el Hanout really is a one-spice-add-and-done!

Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1½ tbsp Ras el Hanout
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 400g tin crushed tomatoes
• 1.5L veggie stock
• 300g red lentils
• 2 cups shredded roast chicken
• 1 tsp Urfa biber, Aleppo pepper or other mild chilli flakes

To serve (all optional)

• coriander leaves
• labneh, Greek-style yoghurt or feta
• Of course, to keep this recipe all veggie just omit the shredded chicken and use non-dairy for the add-ons.

Instructions

1. Add the oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, celery and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the Ras el Hanout and paprika and cook for another minute or until fragrant, and the onion mixture is coated.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. At this point I love to give the mixture a quick blitz with a handheld blender, straight in the pot, to get rid of any larger chunks. It helps to penetrate the flavours and sweeten the mixture with the cooked onion.
3. Add the stock and lentils and simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Give the soup another quick blitz – you don’t want it to be completely uniform, but it helps to thicken the soup by blending the lentil mixture, too. Add the chicken to the pot to warm through.
4. Divide the soup among serving bowls and sprinkle with the chilli flakes. Add any of the optional add-ons, coriander leaves, Greek yoghurt, or crumbles feta.

Roasted Carrot Soup with Ras el Hanout

Sweet roasted carrots and warm ginger are the stars in this soup, perfect to warm you up when the temps start dropping.

Ingredients

• 1 Lb carrots, washed and peeled
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small to medium onion, diced
• 1 rib of celery, diced
• 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/2 green, tart apple such as a Granny Smith
• 2 teaspoons Ras El Hanout
• 2 cups homemade veggie stock
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and roast them for about 30-45 minutes until fork tender and slightly browned. Turn them once after 15 minutes.
3. Remove carrots from oven and allow to cool slightly.
4. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, on medium high heat and add olive oil, onions and celery. Cook until vegetables are softened.
5. Add apples and ginger, cook another 2-3 minutes.
6. Add Ras el Hanout and stir until everything is coated.
7. Add veggie stock and water.
8. Coarsely chop carrots and add them to the mixture.
9. Bring mixture to a boil for 2-3 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer.
10. Let the soup cook for about 30-45 minutes, adding water if needed.
11. When everything is cooked through and tender, remove soup from heat and allow to cool.
12. Carefully ladle soup into a blender filling it halfway. Replace lid and cover the top with a towel to prevent any warm soup from splashing out.
13. Blend until soup is smooth. Repeat by adding remaining soup to the blender.
14. Return all the soup to the pot and reheat adding a little water if soup seems too thick.
15. Serve immediately and garnish with grated ginger and chives.

…oh and the only way we will expand our culinary horizons is by being brave and trying out new spices! We know you will love this one.

You can find Ras el Hanout, along with many other hand-blended herbs and spices, online at www.spiceandeasycyprus.com. We offer free local delivery on orders over €15 via Akis Express. For more information, please visit our web site or feel free to call us on +357 99104622.