I love soups, I could eat soups all day long. It’s the opposite with sweets, I’m not fond of them. Sometimes I don’t even crave sweets for several weeks. This doesn’t stem from an imposed diet, it’s just my nature, I prefer savory flavors. It often happens that when the kids are eating a sweet afternoon snack, I’m reheating another portion of soup for myself.
In winter I love eating warming soups, with plenty of spices and definitely thick. That’s exactly what harira is, a Moroccan chickpea soup, it meets all the requirements of my ideal winter soup. In my meatless version. Chickpeas and lentils perfectly replace animal protein, the soup is very filling.
Harira
Inspiration: “Jamie Magazine” , Jan16
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 small or 1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed through a garlic press
2 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 liter vegetable stock
1/2 cup red lentils
1 and 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
400 g tomato passata or canned tomatoes (chopped)
optional harissa or hot paprika, to taste
parsley or fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Optional for serving natural yogurt, lime juice, dates and flatbread. Without these additions the soup also tastes great.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil, add the chopped onion and sauté over low heat for 5 minutes.
Add the celery and carrot and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander and bay leaf and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and lentils, pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and tomato passata, season with pepper and soy sauce or salt. Optionally we can season with harissa or hot paprika, if someone likes spicy dishes. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.
Before serving, sprinkle the soup with parsley or fresh cilantro.
Traditionally the soup is seasoned on the plate with lime juice and natural yogurt, and accompanied by dates.
Enjoy!