During Lent, we served soup suppers.  Each supper featured a variety of homemade soups, but a special soup and bread was also offered in honor of a foreign country where the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) does active mission work.

Check out our Recipes from these countries:

South America

Quinoa Peanut Soup (Sopa de Mani)

From EatingWell: March/April 2013

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/quinoa_peanut_soup.html

This spicy vegetable, quinoa and peanut soup recipe is a modern take on a traditional Bolivian soup recipe called Sopa de Mani. Serve this healthy quinoa soup recipe as a starter or make it a heartier meal by adding diced cooked chicken or turkey breast to the soup.

Makes: 8 servings, about 1 cup each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in carrots, potatoes and quinoa, then add broth and water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa is cooked and the vegetables are tender, about 18 minutes. Stir in red pepper and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes more. Stir in peanut butter until it is combined into the broth. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, hot sauce and pepper.

(I added salt and used Skippy peanut butter instead of natural.)

 Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo) Recipe

South American cassava root (tapioca) cheese bread. Puffy, cheesy, chewy, and gluten free. best if warmed slightly

RECIPE:  http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_brazilian_cheese_bread/

EGYPT

Egyptian Soup

From: http://www.doctorgrandmas.com/recipes/soupsstews/wheat-berries-and-beet-greens-flavors-of-egypt-soup/

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
4 cups coarsely chopped beet greens
2 cups canned white beans or chick peas with juice
2 cups cooked wheat berries
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

1 t. salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Sauté the onion, garlic, cumin and coriander in the olive oil. When the onions are soft, add the greens and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add the beans and juice, broth and wheat berries and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Mix the yogurt and lemon juice.

Serve the soup with a dollop of yogurt mixture.

Notes:

How to Make Egyptian Bread the Egyptian Way

The Egyptian word for wheat is “kamut”. Bread has been an important part of life in the Nile valley for more than 10,000 years as grains and water were plentiful. This traditional Egyptian flat bread is made with whole grained flour and baked

RECIPE: http://www.ehow.com/how_2293040_make-egyptian-bread-egyptian-way.html

NEPAL

Nepalese Nine-Bean Soup (Kawatee)

From: http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/nepalese-nine-bean-soupnbsp

In Nepal, kawatee is eaten during the harsh winters to “warm” and protect the body. You can use any type of dried beans or legumes to make 2¼ cups total.

Time: 2 hours (20 minutes active) plus soaking                           Makes 4 main-course servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup dried black beans
1/4 cup dried kidney beans
1/4 cup dried red or green lentils
1/4 cup dried azuki beans
1/4cup dried black-eyed peas
1/4 cup dried green mung beans
¼ cup dried lentils
1/4 cup dried garbanzo beans
1/4 cup dried soybeans
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated (1 teaspoon), plus 1-inch piece ginger, cut into 1/4-inch-thick coins
5 cups water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons ghee, margarine, or butter
1/4 teaspoon ajowan seeds (see Notes)
1⁄8 teaspoon asafetida powder (see  Notes)
11/2 teaspoons salt

Rinse all of the beans and pick out any stones and grit. In a large bowl, soak them in enough water to cover by 2 inches for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat until it becomes runny and starts to shimmer. Add the garlic and grated ginger and cook until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Tip in the beans and stir and cook until lightly browned and well coated in oil, 4 to 5 minutes.

Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer for about 1¼ hours , or until the beans are tender and squish easily between your fingers.

Toss in the ginger coins and simmer for another 15 minutes. The soup should not be too thick but have the consistency of a thin vegetable stew. Add more water if necessary.

To make the tempering oil, heat the ghee in a small skillet over high heat until it melts and starts to bubble gently. Stir in the ajowan seeds and asafetida powder. The mixture will sizzle and sputter. Immediately stir the entire contents of the skillet into the soup. Add the salt and serve hot with basmati rice.

Notes: A tempering oil (called channa or tarka) adds extra richness and depth to a dish. Spices (usually whole) are mixed into hot ghee and allowed to “bloom” before the entire mixture is immediately poured into a dish at the end of cooking.

Ajowan seeds are small ridged seeds that look like celery seeds. They belong to the same family as coriander, cumin, celery, lovage, and fennel. When ground, ajowan tastes and smells like thyme, but is more intense with a peppery backnote. Ajowan seeds can be found in South Asian markets, but if necessary, thyme, cumin, or caraway may be used as a substitute.

Asafetida is a strong onion-garlic flavored powdered gum resin. After cooking, its flavor is like the mildest, mellowest garlic. It does wonders for the digestion, which is why it’s often used in legume dishes. Buy it ground (Vandevi brand) and store in a very tightly sealed container. You can substitute the same amount of onion or garlic powder.

Nepali Gwaramari bread (gwaramari)

Gwaramari literally means “a round bread” in Newari – a local language spoken by a community in Kathmandu Valley. This is a famous breakfast dish typically served with chutney or milk tea. It’s best served warm.

RECIPE: http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/nepali-gwaramari-bread-gwaramari

EAST AFRICA

Tanzanian COCONUT BEAN SOUP

From: http://dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/tanzanian-coconut-bean-soup/

Yield: 2 quarts (8 cups)

In Tanzania, as in other African countries, soups and sauces are served in a consistency that is as thick as our stews. Coconut Bean Soup would be used there as a meatless main dish by increasing the quantities of beans and rice. However, in adapting this recipe in our test kitchen we thinned it to soup consistency with additional water and served it as a delightful soup course. Any dried beans such as black-eyed peas or pea beans can be used in this soup. Just cover with water and cook until tender before combining them with the other ingredients. Coconut milk and the delicate use of curry give the soup its unusual flavor.

In a 3-quart saucepan:

Saute:

Add 1 cup FRESH TOMATO cut in 1/2-inch pieces.

Simmer for two minutes longer.

Add:

Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup COOKED RICE.

Correct the seasonings to your taste.

Serve one-cup portions in attractive soup bowls.

Garnish each bowl with 1 tsp. SHREDDED COCONUT.

Chapati – Kenya Round Flat Bread

Chapati [chuh-pah-tee] is an unleavened (no yeast or baking powder) flat bread and a staple food among the Swahili speaking people of East Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda). This chewy bread is served at most meals in East Africa. Tear off pieces of a chapati and use it to pick up other foods. Chapati is used as a bread and as an utensil.

RECIPE: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/Chapati.htm

South Africa

Zimbabwean Chicken and Vegetable Soup

From: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zimbabwean-chicken-and-vegetable-soup/

“This hearty and delicious soup combines a wonderful variety of vegetables with peanut butter and a few red pepper flakes for unexpected flavors and just the right amount of kick.”

Makes 6 servings

Makes servings US Metric Adjust Recipe (Help)

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot; cook and stir the onion in the hot oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Whisk 1/2 cup of vegetable stock and the peanut butter into the onions until the mixture is smooth. Beat in remaining vegetable stock, diced tomatoes with their liquid, and crushed red pepper flakes; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook at a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Stir in the cabbage, sweet potato, carrot, and turnip; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 more minutes. Stir in the okra and chicken and simmer until the okra is tender, about 30 additional minutes.

 Bread: South African Vetkoek

Vetkoek (pronounced Fet-cook and literally meaning fat cake, fat cookie or fatty cake) is another traditional South African dish. It is very easy to make. It is bread dough deep-fried in oil. It can be eat just as it is, with butter and jam, or cheese but can be filled with savoury or curried mince, biltong or anything else you think would taste wonderful.

RECIPE: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-South-African-vetkoek/

MIDDLE EAST

Shorbat Adas (Middle Eastern Lentil Soup)

From: http://www.food.com/recipe/shorbat-adas-middle-eastern-lentil-soup-287666

Ingredients:

Wash and drain the lentils.  Saute the onion and garlic with a little oil in the soup pot.  Combine all the ingredients.  Bring to a boil and simmer on medium-low for 35 minutes, stirring regularly.  Smash the lentils a bit, or whisk to smooth the consistency.  Serve with lemon wedges and a bit of fresh parsley, if desired

Palestine Zaatar Bread (Fatayer Zaatar)

Zaatar is the Arabic word of thyme, it is a wild herb that grows throughout hills and fields of the Levant and East Mediterranean regions. Zaatar has become (along with olive tree) a symbol of the land of Palestine.
RECIPE: http://www.kitchenofpalestine.com/zaatar-bread/