Harira

Ingredients

Quantities for 6 servings.

• 300 g Lamb, in small dice
• 150 g Chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 100 g Green lentils
• 600 g Tomatoes, grated
• 1 piece Onion
• 2 piece Celery
• 60 g Coriander and parsley
• 1 tsp Ground ginger
• 0.5 tsp Cinnamon
• 4 tbsp Plain flour
• 60 g Vermicelli
• to taste Lemon
• to taste Salt and pepper

Method

1. Fry the lamb with the onion, ginger and cinnamon for five minutes, add the chopped celery and herbs and give it two more.
2. Add the grated tomato and the chickpeas, pour in two litres of water and simmer for an hour, until the chickpeas are soft.
3. Add the lentils and give it twenty minutes more.
4. Whisk the flour into a cup of cold water until completely smooth and pour it in as a thin stream, stirring without stopping. Cook five minutes: the soup thickens and turns matt.
5. Add the vermicelli and cook until done. Serve with lemon and dates — that pairing is not accidental: sweet and sour at once.