Marrocan harira soup!

There are so many delicious recipes coming out of the North African country of Morocco. I enjoy this cuisine so much because it combines what I really love the most- that mixture of Mediterranean with Middle Eastern flavors.

Moroccan cuisine uses lots of the spices; I love the sweet and savory combinations and the love of local foods.

For this soup, we will use tomatoes, chickpeas (cooked), onions, lentils (cooked), celery, unrefined grape seed oil, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, black pepper, sea salt, fresh herbs (mint, parsley, cilantro) and lots of love.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (100g) dried chickpeas
• 1/4 cup (50g) dried yellow split peas
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil, unrefined
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 bunch coriander, 3 roots finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
• 2 x 400g fresh chopped tomatoes
• 1 carrot, cut into 1cm cubes
• 1L (4 cups) vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup (50g) whole green lentils
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• fresh herbs (mint, parsley, cilantro)
• 3 dates to decorate the soup and give a sweet taste
• The original recipe uses Lebanese bread, to serve but I use sprouted organic whole grain bread

Step by Step

1. Soak chickpeas and split peas in separate bowls of cold water overnight. The next day, drain pulses well and set aside.
2. Soak the saffron in 1-tablespoon hot water for 5 minutes. Heat the grape oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Add spices, coriander root, and saffron and its liquid. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato, carrot, vegetable stock and 2 cups (500ml) water. Bring to the boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 3 hours.
3. Uncover, add chickpeas and cook for 15 minutes, then add split peas and lentils and cook for a further 25-30 minutes or until pulses are tender. Stir in juice and most of the coriander leaves, reserving some to garnish. Season, and then serve with reserved coriander, add the fresh herbs and serve with the bread.

With Love, Health and Life,

Dr. Sandra Rangel