Moroccan Harira

In a small bowl, mix all the spices for the spice mixture. Set aside.

For the stew base, heat a large stock pot or pan over high heat and add oil. Once hot, place meat into pan and cook for 1–2 minutes. Then turn and brown the other side. Once meat browns on each side, remove and place into a bowl. Set aside.

Bring saucepan down to medium-high heat and add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic with a splash of vegetable stock. Stir and begin to cook vegetables. After several minutes, add the tomatoes and their juices. Cook for another 2 minutes.

As tomatoes start to soften, add spice mixture and mix thoroughly with vegetables and tomatoes. Once spices are mixed in well, add meat and any additional juices that have accumulated in bowl. Then add lentils and rice and stir.

After about 30 seconds of stirring, begin adding vegetable stock into mixture 1 cup at a time. As you add stock to the saucepan, stir it throughout and distribute liquid well. Once stock is fully added, add tomato paste, chickpeas and sea salt. Bring saucepan to high heat and to a boil. As soup starts to boil, bring to a simmer and let cook for at least 1 hour.

While harira is simmering, begin making tadouira by gradually adding water to chickpea flour in a bowl. If you add tomato paste to your tadouira, you would mix it in here as well. The end result should be a runny yellowish slurry, which will go into the harira at the end.

Periodically check on harira to monitor texture of meat. Meat should be very soft but still retain its original form. Once meat is properly cooked, add cilantro and parsley and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add tadouira and stir it thoroughly into soup while simmering. As it starts to thicken (after 1–2 minutes), take harira off heat and serve. If desired, add a splash of lemon juice and additional fresh cilantro and parsley as a garnish. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Maroc Mama (marocmama.com) and Pamela Salzman (pamelasalzman.com).