Moroccan Harira Soup

Winter is coming, which means lots of soups. And I am already bringing together the best winter collection of soups and stews. This Moroccan Harira soup was a huge hit and so filling. I served the soup with bread and some sour cream. It was a complete meal. 

Ingredients 

500 grams beef- thinly sliced 

1/8 cup olive oil 

1 large onion- diced 

1 teaspoon garlic paste 

2 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon turmeric 

1 teaspoon cumin powder 

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder 

1 cup celery- diced 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

3 cups tinned tomatoes / tomato puree 

1 litre boiling water 

1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes 

1 cup chick peas- boiled/ tinned and drained 

1 cup brown lentils- boiled until softened 

1/2 cup vermicelli- broken

A small bunch of fresh coriander- chopped 

Salt and pepper- to taste 

To Serve 

Lemon wedges 

Sour cream 

Fresh baked bread 

Instructions

1. Heat oil in pan. Sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon. Cook it for a further 2 minutes on a medium heat. 

2. Add the celery and sauté for a further 4-5 minutes. The celery takes time to break down and soften so it is a good idea to cook it more now. Add the beef and dear it on a high heat until the colour changes and turns a golden brown colour. 

3. Add the tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix well. Then add the chickpeas, tomato paste and chilli flakes. Top it off with the boiling water. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. 

4. Once the harira is cooked through, add the lentils and vermicelli. You don’t ant to cook it too much otherwise the vermicelli will become like porridge and breakdown in the soup. Cook it for only 5 minutes more. 

5. Garnish with the coriander and serve. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of Lemon.