Nadia Zerouali didn’t have to think twice when she was asked to develop the recipe for the Freedom Soup this year. Die Vrijheidssoup is an initiative of sausage maker Samuel Levie and chef Joris Bijderdijk. Three years ago they thought that a shared dish might be the best way to celebrate our freedom. Their ambition is to make it a national tradition, and they are well on their way: the recipe for the Freedom Soup is increasingly shared online, the number of Freedom Meals grows every year. And this year, 50,000 cans of the ready-to-use version have already been distributed across locations throughout the Netherlands. Sometimes a small amount is asked, but all proceeds flow back to charity.
For Zerouali, the end of Ramadan this year flows seamlessly into the commemoration on May 4 and the celebration on May 5 – not only by a calendar coincidence, but also spiritually. She fasts every year and uses the weeks of withdrawal for reflection, distance from herself and empathy for the other. This year her thoughts were with the refugees from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan. During Eid el-Fitr, the official name of the Sugar Fest, she transferred an amount to a refugee camp in Lebanon.
classic harira
Her Freedom Soup therefore became a classic harira, the dish used to break the fast after sunset during Moroccan Ramadan. The recipe is not complicated, although it does contain a few technical surprises for novices: step one is pure pureeing green herbs, onions and tomatoes in a blender or, as it used to be, a passevite. Only then does the pan go on the fire and the lentils, chickpeas and whatever you want to add are added: Zerouali encourages people to dive into the refrigerator, all leftovers are allowed as far as she’s concerned. Meat is also possible – once unaffordable for most, so traditionally it counts as a bonus, but if you still have some stray meat lying around: feel free. Bind everything with flour or cornflour, stir, let it simmer for a while and you’re done: a pan full of fragrant security.
Officially, Zerouali’s recipe is for four people, but actually it’s “way too much”. She hopes that people will hand out and start a conversation. She is also satisfied with the canned version – although she would serve it with some fresh celery leaves. One thing is definitely not allowed in her soup – for those who always cook Dutch it might be a bit of a shock, but the stock cube is taboo. Unnecessary and artificial, she thinks. Even derogatory.