Jane’s moroccan harira soup

 Jane’s Moroccan harira soup

Who is Jane?

Easy-to-make Moroccan harira soup can be adapted to make a vegetarian option.

This soup is easy to make but for an even easier version, use tinned tomatoes and tinned chickpeas to avoid soaking overnight. For vegetarians or vegans, as one of my daughters now is, replace the chicken or lamb broth with vegetable stock. Or for extra oomph for carnivores, use the meat and bones of chicken, lamb or beef to strengthen the broth. Either way, it’s heavenly.

250g (1 cup) dry chickpeas, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
2 litres unsalted chicken or lamb stock
1 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp powdered turmeric
1 tsp dried chillies
1 onion, finely chopped
125g (half cup) red lentils
1kg of tomatoes, skinned and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Parsley, finely chopped
Coriander, finely chopped
In a large pot, cook the chickpeas in the stock over medium heat for at least two hours, until tender. Don’t add salt or allow the liquid to come off the boil. Add more boiling water to maintain the liquid volume if needed.
When the chickpeas are perfectly soft, stir in the lentils, onion, tomatoes and spices, season with salt and pepper, bring back to the boil and simmer for another 30 minutes until the lentils are mushy and the soup is satisfyingly thick. Finish with a swirl of olive oil and a generous handful of chopped parsley and coriander.
Serve the soup in deep bowls, with lemon quarters for squeezing and a bowl of red dates “to make the heart glad”.
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