Harira

Ingredients

• 300g lamb shoulder, cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks with leaves, finely chopped
• 400g ripe tomatoes, or 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 150g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, or 1 x 400g tin, drained
• 100g brown or green lentils, rinsed
• 1 large bunch coriander (about 40g)
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 25g)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 large pinch saffron threads
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 30g unsalted butter
• 60g plain flour
• 50g fine vermicelli or 60g broken angel hair pasta
• 2 litres water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges, to serve
• Dates, to serve

Before you cook

• Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain and rub off the loose skins.
• Cut the lamb into small cubes and trim off any hard fat.
• Chop the onion, celery and tomatoes finely. If using fresh tomatoes, grate them on the coarse side of a box grater and discard the skins.
• Chop the coriander and parsley very finely, keeping a handful of coriander back for serving.
• Whisk the flour with 350ml cold water in a jug until completely smooth and leave it to stand.

Steps

1. Set a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter.
2. Add the lamb and cook for 5 minutes, turning the cubes, until they are greyish brown on all sides.
3. Stir in the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
4. Add the ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon and saffron and stir for 1 minute so the spices toast in the fat.
5. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and most of the chopped herbs, and cook for 5 minutes until the mixture darkens and smells sweet.
6. Tip in the drained soaked chickpeas and pour over the water. Add the salt.
7. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer partly covered for 45 minutes, until the chickpeas are tender to the bite.
8. Add the lentils and simmer for a further 20 minutes until they are soft but still whole.
9. Whisk the flour and water mixture again to loosen it, then pour it into the pot in a slow stream while stirring constantly with your other hand.
10. Keep stirring for 3 to 4 minutes as the soup thickens and turns silky, then simmer gently for 10 minutes so the raw flour taste cooks out. Stir every couple of minutes so nothing catches on the base.
11. Drop in the vermicelli and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
12. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable, so loosen with a splash of hot water if it has gone stodgy.
13. Stir through the reserved coriander and ladle into bowls.
14. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over and a few dates on the side.