Moroccan Harira Soup

Feeding people is my love language and nothing does that better on some days than soup. Slowly cooked, nourishing and comforting, soup warms the palate and the soul. This might be my all-time favorite soup recipe that I have made so far this year — or ever. Harira is a zesty, aromatic Moroccan soup with chickpeas and lentils. Robustly seasoned with ginger, pepper, cinnamon, and lots of fresh herbs and accented with lemon. Often made with ground lamb or chicken, it can also be made vegetarian. I used bulgur and veggie stock for mine. It’s especially popular in Ramadan when it’s served to break the fast. I served mine with a fresh squeeze of lemon which bumped up the vibrancy even more and topped the soup with zest, parsley, and coriander. A spoon of yogurt and freshly made, warm flatbread ... that my friends is heaven!

Part 1 - Mise-en-place

The basic ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup finely diced carrots

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

Spice blend: 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons cinnamon.

2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice

6 cups stock (vegetarian or meat)

2 cups cooked lentils

2 cups chickpeas

1 cup cooked bulgur

salt to taste and one lemon for finishing (zest and juice)

Part 2 - Method

Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot. I love my enameled cast iron pots or thick walled copper pots for slow simmering. Add all of the diced vegetables and ‘sweat’ them for about 5 minutes on medium, being careful not to brown.

Prepare your spice blend and adjust to taste. I love copious amounts of cinnamon which brings its unique heat and warmth, but you can cut back if it seems like it’s too much. Add the mix to the sautéed vegetables and stir allowing the spices to warm up and the flavor to bloom, before adding the diced tomatoes.

After another 5 minutes, when you are really hit with the aroma of the tomato and spices blending, you can add the stock. My time saver with this soup, is to have all of the legumes and bulgar cooked already before you add them. I have a thing against undercooked lentils —so this resolves that too!

Now you can let the soup simmer for an hour or two …

Part 3 - Bringing it all together

When you are ready to serve, zest the lemon and chop up parsley, coriander and mint (or your preference of herbs)combine with the zest and a bit of lemon juice and set aside.

Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and top with the zest and herb blend and finally, right before serving, hit each bowl with a big squeeze of lemon juice. Be sure not to skip it — the acidity makes all of the pungent spices just explode in each spoonful. You can also add a dollop of plain yogurt on top as well.

When I made it, I added a warm wedge of pita bread on the side. Similar to a Moroccan flat bread, but with the addition of yeast. My family is crazy for it and it is so easy to make!

Homemade Pita - So easy!

1 cup water (warmish but not hot)1 tablespoon olive oil, a sprinkling of sugar to feed the yeast, a packet of yeast or about 2 tablespoons, 1 teaspoon of salt and a basic organic wheat flour - 1/2 cup whole wheat and 2 cups all-purpose.

Dissolve your yeast in a bowl with the water and sugar and wait for it to froth. In a stand mixer, add the flour and salt. Start the dough hook and slowly drizzle in the water and yeast. As this mixes, drizzle in the olive oil. Allow to knead until a ball forms and the dough is smooth.

Set aside for 15 minutes. Heat a cast-iron skillet or flat grill and divide the dough into balls (whatever size you want). Flatten and then cook on each side just for a minute or two or until done. Serve warm.

Flatbread…

Homemade pita-type bread is an easy side addition that goes well with a yogurt dip or spicy soup. My tip is not to over-think it. Just follow the basic instructions and I promise you will love it!