Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Moussaka Soup

The first time I heard about Moussaka was a scene in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Toula was getting teased as a young girl for bringing Moussaka for her lunch. I had to try it after hearing it mentioned in the movie. I love Moussaka! It is ... like a Greek lasagna? Without pasta and loaded with eggplant and at my Greek restaurant zucchini and potato too. It also has a fluffy, creamy, cheesy topping that is so different. Try it if you haven't, it is delicious.

Well a few days ago I got the idea to adapt my Spicy Beef Vegetable Soup into a soup with Greek flavors. Moussaka has beef and vegetables and seemed the perfect candidate to turn into a soup. This soup is loaded with roasted veggies and Greek flavor. I substituted roasted eggplant, zucchini, squash and red bell pepper for the mixed veggies. I also for went the pasta sauce for can tomatoes I could spice with Greek flavors. The spices are what make this so different. Usually cinnamon, allspice and cloves are used for baking. Here they are what makes the soup reminiscent of Moussaka. Without them this soup would be more Italian than Greek. The topping is also a important touch; it is the perfect creamy, cheesy garnish for this soup. Maybe Toula could have avoided the teasing if she could have said she just had soup for lunch.


Again my dear sister is keeping my blog stylish.
Thanks for the new place mats Sis!

Moussaka Soup
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Olive oil cooking spray
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 medium potato, chopped
4 cups beef broth
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Topping:
1 Tbsp light butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese(plus more for garnish)
1/4 tsp salt
1/16 tsp nutmeg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425ยบ. In a large bowl combine the eggplant, zucchini, squash, red bell pepper and olive oil. Toss to coat vegetables with oil. Transfer to a large baking pan coated with cooking spray. Season with salt, black pepper and a little red pepper flake. Bake for 20 minutes.




Heat a large pot(at least 3-1/2 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook over medium high heat until brown. Add chopped onion and garlic; continue to cook until translucent. Season with salt, black and red pepper. Add other spices; ground allspice, through basil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes, potato, roasted vegetables, beef broth and brown sugar; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese, salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat, and cool slightly.

Serve in individual soup bowls; top with a drizzle of topping and additional Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts: Per Serving; Calories 335, Carbohydrates 32g, Fat 12g. Protein 27g, Calcium 17g, Fiber 7g. 8 WW Points +



Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Mondays with Countrified Hicks Blog Hop 
My Mixing Spoon: Random Recipe Roundup Linkie Party
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Eggplant
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
The Tumbleweed Contessa: Cinnamon Saturday Dishes
Food of the World Greece
Kahakai Kitchen: Souper Sundays

6 comments:

  1. When it comes to soup, the toppings are my favorite part. This topping...I must try! All of those roasted vegetables look delicious too.

    Thanks for sharing with See Ya in the Gumbo. Have a great weekend, Denise!

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  2. It's so funny, because as I clicked on your link for moussaka, I thought about My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and then I saw that's what you had written! I LOVE that movie- it's one of the funniest movies ever!
    Thanks for linking this up at Saturday Dishes- I think this might be our dinner tomorrow, since I have an eggplant in the fridge that needs to get used!

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  3. You are one of our features this week at Saturday Dishes at Coffee With Us 3! Thanks for much for linking up to our cinnamon party. Hope to see you again this week for appetizers!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Lucy! You just made my day. Thank you for the opportunity to share with Saturday Dishes each week. So much fun! Have a great New Year!

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  4. Thanks for sharing your soup at Souper Sundays this week. I love all of the flavors you have going on here. ;-)

    ReplyDelete

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