Moroccan recipe : Harira (Moroccan Soup)

On our last evening in Agadir, we went to the traditional Moroccan restaurant in the hotel. This was our starter and it's apparently a very popular soup during Ramadan. It reminded me of a spicier version of minestrone.

 Harira (Moroccan Soup)

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

250g lamb or mutton (or you could use any other meat)

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

100g chickpeas (can use tinned or soak them overnight if using dried ones)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp ginger

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

big bunch fresh parsley and fresh coriander, finely chopped

4 fresh tomatoes or 1 tin chopped tomatoes, liquidised

1 lamb or beef stock cube

100g vermicelli or very small pasta

3 litres water

6-7 tbsp plain flour or cornflour, for thickening

Gently fry the onion and meat in a large saucepan until the meat is browned on all sides.

Add the carrot, drained chickpeas and all the spices except the cinnamon. Stir and add 250ml of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer over a medium heat for half an hour.

Add the herbs and tomatoes, and cook until the chickpeas are soft and the meat is falling off the bone.

Add more water to replace what has evaporated during cooking. Add the stock cube, cinnamon and vermicelli.

In a bowl, mix the flour with a few spoonfuls of cooking liquid. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pan until well incorporated.

Cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the pasta is completely cooked. Serve with crusty bread.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Moroccan pastry recipe : Gazelle Horns

Moroccan recipe : Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemons

Moroccan recipe : Kefta Meatball Tagine