Harira (Chickpea and Lentils) Soup
Harira soup is one of the traditional Moroccan soups. The recipe for this harira soup is a Berber recipe that I learned while growing up. This soup packs a huge amount of flavor and is very easy to make! Although the flavor of the harira differs from region to region in Morocco it usually starts with the same basic ingredients.
The abundance of tomatoes with chickpeas, lentils, celery, cilantro, and parsley give this soup an amazing tastes and aroma. You can build on the flavors by adding small chunks of lamb, beef, or eggs.
Also, this soup is full of macro and micronutrients from the protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, not to mention the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that your body needs. All of these fresh ingredients can be found in any supermarket near.
I prefer to cook my chickpeas instead of buying the canned version but if you are short on time you can substitute pre-cooked chickpeas.
For all of you weekly meal preppers, this soup is perfect to make on the weekend to have for dinners or lunch during the week.
Ingredients:
4 medium to large tomatoes without skin
1 cup of chopped celery with leaves and root
1 cup of red onion, diced small
1 cup of cooked chickpeas
½ cup of rinsed lentils
½ cup of chopped cilantro
½ cup of chopped parsley
10 cups of water
1 ½ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
½ teaspoon of black pepper
4 tablespoons or ¼ cup of whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to add to the soup at the end
Directions:
Bring the water to boil, add the chopped celery and lentils. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion, tomatoes, salt, ginger, and black pepper.
Let this cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the flour and tomato paste. (look at the video above)
Let cook for 5 to 7 more minutes until the soup has a good consistency (see the picture above) and turn off the stove.
Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and stir.
Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving. Enjoy!