Moroccan Vegetable Soup (Chorba)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 pound beef stew meat (such as chuck) or lamb stew meat (shoulder or leg), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 cups reduced-sodium beef broth or water
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 small turnips peeled and diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 2 stalks celery leaves included, thinly sliced
• Pinch of saffron threads (see Ingredient Note)
• 12 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus more leaves for garnish
• 8 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
• 1 large zucchini, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 2 ounces angel hair pasta (capellini), broken into small pieces (about 1/2 cup), or orzo, preferably whole-wheat
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and turmeric; stir to coat. Add meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth (or water), tomatoes and their juice, turnips, carrots, celery and saffron.
2. Tie parsley and cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the meat is tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
3. Stir in zucchini and cook, covered, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook until soft, 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the type of pasta.
4. Discard the parsley and cilantro sprigs. Season with salt (start with 1 teaspoon if you're using beef broth; add more if you're using water) and pepper.
5. Serve sprinkled with parsley and/or cilantro leaves, if desired.

Tips

Ingredient note: The dried stigma from Crocus sativus, saffron adds flavor and golden color to a variety of Middle Eastern, African and European foods. Find it in the spice section of supermarkets, gourmet shops and at tienda.com. It will keep in an airtight container for several years. To Make Ahead: Equipment: Kitchen string Per serving: 237 calories; 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat, 5 g mono unsaturated fat); 37 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrates; 21 g protein; 4 g fiber; 713 mg sodium; 767 mg potassium Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (80% daily value), Vitamin C (35% dv), Zinc (26% dv), Potassium (20% dv), Iron (15% dv). Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1/2 fat Contributed by: EatingWell.com