Harira Chickpea and Lentil Soup
A tomato-based Moroccan soup of chickpeas and brown lentils spiced with ginger, cinnamon and turmeric, thickened at the end with a flour-and-water slurry that gives it a velvety body.
- 1
Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and celery 8 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and pepper and stir 1 minute, until fragrant.
- 2
Add the crushed tomatoes and cook 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mixture darkens and pulls away from the side of the pot.
- 3
Add the lentils, chickpeas, 8 cups water and the salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered 35 minutes, until the lentils are completely soft.
- 4
Stir in the vermicelli and cook 5 minutes more, until tender.
- 5
Whisk the flour with 1 cup water in a bowl until there is not a single lump. Pour it into the simmering soup in a thin stream while stirring constantly.
- 6
Simmer 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often so the bottom does not catch, until the soup thickens and looks glossy. Take it off the heat, stir in the cilantro and parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 cup brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 8 cups water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 ounces vermicelli, broken into short lengths
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water, for the thickener
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- 1
Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and celery 8 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and pepper and stir 1 minute, until fragrant.
- 2
Add the crushed tomatoes and cook 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mixture darkens and pulls away from the side of the pot.
- 3
Add the lentils, chickpeas, 8 cups water and the salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered 35 minutes, until the lentils are completely soft.
- 4
Stir in the vermicelli and cook 5 minutes more, until tender.
- 5
Whisk the flour with 1 cup water in a bowl until there is not a single lump. Pour it into the simmering soup in a thin stream while stirring constantly.
- 6
Simmer 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often so the bottom does not catch, until the soup thickens and looks glossy. Take it off the heat, stir in the cilantro and parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.