I like to cook warming soups when the weather starts to get colder. Autumn is here, and it’s time to cook spicy semolina soup. So, you have arrived at the right place if you are looking for a new and easy soup recipe. Today I will teach you how to make delicious Sder, Tunisian spicy semolina soup. The soup is a real flu-fighter but also a perfect companion on colder days. Let’s get started.
What is Sder - spicy semolina soup?
Sder, spicy semolina soup, is a traditional Tunisian dish. It’s a tomato-based soup that has a spicy and hot taste. The main ingredients are semolina, harissa, tomato paste, onion, garlic, and spices like tabil, mint, capers, and paprika powder.
It contains many anti-inflammatory or immune-boosting ingredients such as garlic, chili, olive oil, tabil, and preserved lemon. For this reason, it’s a real flu fighter. But it is also enjoyed on colder days due to its warming effect. In addition, some people like to eat this soup in the holy month of Ramadan instead of traditional chorba.
Ingredients and tips for cooking authentic Sder
Next, I have listed some ingredient tips to help you make the most delicious spicy semolina soup. The internet is full of recipes and different techniques to cook. Also, some families have strong traditions of how some dishes should be prepared. But as always in cooking, there is room for improvisation. So, feel free to modify the recipe so that it fits perfectly for you. Here are a couple of tips!
- The most traditional way to cook spicy semolina soup is without meat. In this case, the soup will be vegan.
- Semolina includes gluten, so this soup isn’t for people with a gluten-free diet.
- It’s important to use coarse semolina, not fine one.
- Using parsley is optional, but if you do, choose flat-leaf parsley, also known as Italian parsley. You can add half of the parsley at the beginning of the cooking process and another half when the soup is almost ready. In this way, you get the most out of the flavor.
- I recommend using homemade harissa aka harissa arbi. But canned harissa works perfectly as well.
- Add a tablespoon of turmeric if you are willing to boost the anti-inflammatory effect.
- Tabil is a spice blend made of coriander, cumin and caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, dried garlic, black pepper, bay leaves, ginger powder, dried mint, and salt. The best substitutes for the Tunisian Tabil mix are Ras el hanout blend, allspice, and Baharat. You can also add equal parts of spices that the Tabil mix is made of.
- You can substitute the preserved lemon with a lemon and a little bit more salt.
- I recommend using red bird’s eye chilis but feel free to substitute with any chili you like. This time I used tiny Turkish chili peppers, and it worked out just fine.
- The soup will be SPICY if you are making the soup with the ingredients I have given in the recipe. You can reduce the spiciness by leaving out chilies or putting less harissa. You could also use regular paprika powder instead of a spicy one.
Recipe for spicy semolina soup
Servings 4
Total preparation time 1 hour
Ingredients for the recipe
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 tbsp homemade harissa or canned harissa
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp tabil
1 tsp spicy paprika powder
half bouquet of parsley, chopped (optional)
1 1/2 l hot water
1 tbsp dried mint
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 preserved lemon, cut into cubes
2 red bird’s eye chili
1 tbsp capers
1 dl semolina, coarse
Meatballs (optional)
300g minced beef meat
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp tabil
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp harissa
1 tsp dried mint
Optional: turmeric
How to make spicy semolina soup
Step. 1 (If you are cooking without meatballs, skip the first step.) Carefully mix together: minced beef meat, peeled and crushed garlic cloves, salt, tabil, black pepper, harissa, and dried mint. Shape mixture into 15 meatballs.
Step. 2
Peel and chop the yellow onion. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
Step. 3
Add olive oil into the pot and heat it up at medium heat. Add yellow onion, garlic cloves, harissa, and tomato paste. Fry for 3 minutes. Add a dash of water, salt, tabil, paprika powder, and chopped parsley (optional). Fry for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 hot water and bring it to a boil.
Step. 4
(If you are cooking without meatballs, skip this step). Add the shaped meatballs into the soup and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Step. 5
Add dried mint, black pepper, preserved lemon, chilis, capers, and semolina into the soup. Let it cook at medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the semolina is cooked.
Step. 6
Voila! And the spicy semolina soup is ready. Serve it with fresh bread and a glass of cold kefir. Yummy!
If you decide to cook spicy semolina soup, let me know your thoughts in the comments. What’s your favorite soup to cook in autumn and winter? See you again next week!