Harira (A Moroccan soup)
A Traditional Moroccan soup
Ingredients
- 1 large onions chopped
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 stalk celery & leaves chopped
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dried brown lentils
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
- 1 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons semolina or 3 tablespoons flour mixed with
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 bouillon cubes preferably beef
- salt
- lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
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In a large soup pot, saute the onion, parsley, celery, pepper and turmeric in the butter for a few minutes, then add the cinnamon and other spices.
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Saute on very low heat for about 15 minutes or less, until the onions are soft and the spices are well-distributed.
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Wash the lentils.
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Puree the coriander leaves in a blender with a little water, or pound with a mortar and pestle.
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Add both to the pot, along with the crushed tomatoes (I also like to puree the tomatoes in the blender before I add them, to eliminate any large chunks that might remain).
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Cook for 15 minutes over low heat, and then add 1 1/2 quarts of water (about 7 cups).
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Add the soup cube.
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Cook on low/medium heat until the lentils are soft (I usually let the soup cook for about 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend).
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A few minutes before serving, add salt to the soup (you could also add some vermicelli or other small soup noodle at this point, but I personally don't; if you do, make sure to allow an extra few minutes for the noodles to cook).
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10. Add the flour and water mixture; mix well to prevent lumps from forming.
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11. Serve with lemon wedges on the side, to be squeezed over the soup.