Meatless Harira (A Moroccan soup)

photo by bonitabanana

- Ready In:
- 2hrs 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 18
- Yields:
-
1 large pot of soup
ingredients
- 1 large onion, 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) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons semolina or 3 tablespoons flour, mixed with
- 1⁄2 cup water
- 1 bouillon cube, preferably beef
- salt
- lemon wedge (to serve)
directions
- 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.
- Saute on very low heat for about 15 minutes or less, until the onions are soft and the spices are well-distributed.
- Wash the lentils.
- Puree the coriander leaves in a blender with a little water, or pound with a mortar and pestle.
- 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).
- Cook for 15 minutes over low heat, and then add 1 1/2 quarts of water (about 7 cups).
- Add the soup cube.
- 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).
- 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).
- Add the flour and water mixture; mix well to prevent lumps from forming.
- Serve with lemon wedges on the side, to be squeezed over the soup.
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Reviews
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Loved, loved, loved this one. I was a bit impatient with all the steps as I usually think of soup as a dump and simmer affair. But the wonderful layering of flavors was just superb and well worth the trouble. I halved the recipe but used a full can of chickpeas. (Speaking of the chickpeas, the instructions didn't say when to add them so I included them with the lentils.) Also added a teaspoon of harissa at the point where I mixed in the lentils. I did have to add additional water (about 3 cups) as so much of it was absorbed by the lentils and from evaporation. Instead of vermicelli, I added about 1/4 cup of Israeli couscous (the big bead-sized kind). Even the half recipe yielded about 8 cups of soup. The Morrocan chef at work makes this every week a treat for me, but I have to mine (yours) was even better. Do I dare bring some in? Did I say how much I loved this? Thanks!!!
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Very nice soup. I liked the spicy flavour very much. I used canola oil instead of the butter to lower the fat and cholesterol. The directions could have been a bit more clear such as there are no mention of some of the ingredients listed, but its fairly straight forward recipe and didn't cause any problems.
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In my next life, can I come back as a North African? Wow! This is a very spicy soup but it is fantastic. I sauted the onions and spices first and then I threw the rest into the crockpot. This recipe is definitely a winner in that respect. I left out the celery as I was out of it but the soup is STILL a 5-star. I recommend making your own garam masala from scratch and getting the old mortar and pestle out. It makes all the difference. Nicole, keep posting more vegetarian recipes PLEASE!
Tweaks
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Very nice soup. I liked the spicy flavour very much. I used canola oil instead of the butter to lower the fat and cholesterol. The directions could have been a bit more clear such as there are no mention of some of the ingredients listed, but its fairly straight forward recipe and didn't cause any problems.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Nicole Isabella
United States
I live in CA for now, but am originally from the East Coast. I still mourn the wonderful pizza I used to eat--here, what passes for pizza wouldn't be considered edible back home.
I LOVE to cook when I have the time, especially dishes from the Middle East, North Africa, and Italy (my husband is Moroccan, my father was Italian). I also find culinary history interesting. I enjoy collecting cookbooks and trying out new recipes.
Moroccan cookery is my newest passion and I love reading about the different regional variations on dishes. By the way, to those of you who have gone to "Moroccan" restaurants in the States, please note: falafel and hummous dip are not Moroccan. Any place that advertises them as such is suspect! :)