Name: Spicy Moroccan Soup of Lamb and Chick-Peas (Harira)
Yield: Makes 12 First-Course or 6 Main-Course Servings
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 2 quarts water or meat broth; salt and pepper; ¾ cup dried chick-peas, soaked overnight in just enough water to cover; ¾ cup dried lentils; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon pinch of saffron threads; 6 medium-size tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 3 cups canned, seeded and drained, chopped; 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves; ½ cup packed cilantro leaves, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric or 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh; 1 celery rib, finely chopped; 2 medium-size onions, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons ghee or 3 tablespoons whole butter or more as needed; 4 1-pound lamb shanks or 1-¼ pounds lamb shoulder or stew meat, cut into ¾-inch cubes; 1 cup yogurt

Preparation info

Makes
12
First-Course Servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Splendid Soups

By James Peterson

Published 2000

About

Moroccan cooks have such a knack for using spices that I sometimes consult Moroccan recipes just to come up with new flavor combinations. When I was researching French medieval cooking, I discovered many of the same combinations in books written more than 500 years ago. Saffron, lemon, turmeric, mint, ginger, anise, cumin, and both the seeds and leaves (cilantro) of the coriander plant are all used to create exotic and surprising flavors.

Another interesting component of Moroccan co