Moroccan · Soup
Moroccan Onion & Saffron Soup
A gently sweet, golden soup of onions slowly softened in butter and olive oil until melting, then simmered with saffron, ginger and a little vermicelli. It's a soothing, warming bowl — the Moroccan spice cupboard's answer to onion soup, finished with a squeeze of lemon.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 5 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads, steeped
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 30 g butter plus 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1.2 litres vegetable or chicken stock
- 50 g fine vermicelli, broken
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt to taste
Method
- 1
Melt the onions
Cook the onions gently in the butter and oil for 20 minutes until soft, golden and sweet, without browning hard.
- 2
Spice
Stir in the saffron, ginger, white pepper and salt.
- 3
Simmer
Add the stock and simmer 15 minutes so the flavours meld.
- 4
Add vermicelli
Add the broken vermicelli and cook 5 minutes until tender.
- 5
Finish
Stir in coriander and lemon juice.
- 6
Serve
Serve hot with bread.
Chef's tips
- Cook the onions low and slow for sweetness; rushing them makes the soup harsh.
- Steep the saffron in warm water first for full colour.
- A little lemon at the end lifts the whole bowl.
Frequently asked questions
Is this like French onion soup?
It shares the melting-onion base, but it's lighter and spiced with saffron and ginger rather than topped with cheese and bread — a distinctly Moroccan take.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes — use olive oil instead of butter and vegetable stock. The saffron and onions carry plenty of flavour.