Harira (Moroccan Tomato, Lentil & Chickpea Soup)

Name: Harira (Moroccan Tomato, Lentil & Chickpea Soup)
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, rinsed; 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed; 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes; 1 onion, chopped; 2 celery stalks, chopped; 2 carrots, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp grated ginger; ½ bunch cilantro, chopped; ½ bunch parsley, chopped; 2 oz thin spaghetti, broken into short bits; 2 lemons, in wedges; 1 baguette, for serving; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp flour; 2 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 vegetable bouillon cubes; salt

LunchMoroccan60 minServes 6475 kcal21 g protein

Photo: إيان · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Morocco's Ramadan soup: lentils, chickpeas and broken noodles in a tomato broth scented with ginger, turmeric and cinnamon, with fistfuls of herbs and a squeeze of lemon.

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Ingredients

1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp grated ginger
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
½ bunch parsley, chopped
2 oz thin spaghetti, broken into short bits
2 lemons, in wedges
1 baguette, for serving

From your pantry: 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp flour, 2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, salt.

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium. Cook the onion, celery and carrots with a pinch of salt until soft, 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and pepper for 1 minute.
Add half the herbs, the tomatoes, lentils, bouillon and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and broken pasta and simmer until the pasta is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
Whisk the flour with ½ cup water and stir it in slowly. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the soup turns silky. Season with salt.
Stir in the remaining herbs and serve with lemon wedges and bread.

Tip: The flour-and-water slurry (tadouira) is what gives harira its velvety body, so don't skip it. Many families add small cubes of beef or chicken with the lentils; a pinch of saffron is a nice touch.