Harira
Harira is a tomato based soup with pulses such as chickpeas and lentils, and pasta or rice. Often flavoured with meat on the bone such as beef or lamb, but could equally use chicken, or leave the meat out entirely for a vegetarian soup.
Ingredients
- 200 g dry cheakpeas soaked
- 100 g dry lentils soaked
- 900 g lamb or beef on the bone
- 800 g tomatoes deskinned
- 400 g sieved tomato
- 50 g tomato paste
- 300 g celery thinly sliced
- 300 g diced carrot
- 400 g red onion diced
- 2 large clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 green pepper diced
- 2 chilli deseeded (optional)
- fresh chopped coriander
- fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- pinch cinnamon
- 4 l water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 25 g vermicelli
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas and lentils in water overnight. The next day drain them. Peel the chickpeas by rubbing them vigorously in a kitchen towel.
- Peel the tomatoes. This is easily done by cutting a small cross at the base of each tomato and then blanching in boiling water for 15 seconds. The skin can then be peeled off by hand. Roughly dice them.
- Brown the meat (if using) in a little oil in a large stock pot. Once browned remove and set to one side.
- Saute the celery, onions, carrots and garlic in the pot.
- Return the meat to the pan and add the peeled chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, spices, and about 1l of the water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 60 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, sieved tomatoes, lentils, peppers, chilli and the remaining water. Return to the boil, cover and simmer for a further 90 minutes.
- Add the vermicelli a few minutes before the end of the cooking time.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- If the soup needs thickening add a little beurre manie (butter and flour paste) and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes. The soup should be a silky cream like consistency.
- Sprinkle with more parsley/coriander. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.