Moroccan Harira Soup
A more up-to-date variation of a lentil soup can be found in this mildly spicy and warming Moroccan harira soup. The name of the soup, harira, is derived from the Arabic word for silk. The texture of the soup is silky and smooth, hence the name.
makes about 8 servings
Ingredients
Oil for sauteing
8 oz lamb, beef or chicken, diced
Soup bones (optional)
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup finely diced celery
1 large onion, finely diced
3 to 4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon harissa paste (alternately use 1 or 2 heaping teaspoons of harissa spice blend)
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained
½ cup green lentils
½ cup red lentils
6 medium tomatoes, diced
8 cups vegetable stock (beef or chicken stock can be used)
¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup extra fine egg noodles or vermicelli
Salt to taste
Lemon wedges for serving
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add beef, lamb or chicken to the pot and sear on all sides.
Step 2
Remove and set aside.
Step 3
Add more oil to the pot if needed. Boil over medium heat. Add the diced carrot, celery and onion to the pot. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until starting to soften. Add the minced garlic to the pot and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 4
Add the harissa, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, pepper and salt to the vegetable mixture. Stir until everything is well coated and sauté for 1 minute. Return the meat to the pot.
Step 5
Add the tomato paste to the pot, stir and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 6
Add the green lentils and red lentils to the pot. Stir everything so that it is well coated in the tomato paste mixture.
Step 7
Add the diced tomatoes, stock, chopped parsley and chopped cilantro to the pot, then increase the heat to high. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for 60-90 minutes until it begins to thicken.
Step 8
Add the noodles and canned chickpeas, simmer for 15 minutes.Taste and season as needed, add more liquid if needed. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with additional freshly chopped parsley and cilantro.
