Harira - Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil soup with pasta

 We made this with KindSoups as it is often served during Ramadan.  It’s very hearty and tasty, good for breaking a fast.  Since it includes lentils and chickpeas, it can serve as a full meal.

 Initially I used less liquid than it called for, but ended up adding more, probably ended up with more than 14 cups total.  The pasta takes up a lot of the fluid.  The lemon at the end adds a LOT of taste.  I ended up using 1.5 -2x the amount of spices.  

Harira – a Moroccan Soup

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, diced (about 2 cups)
• 6 stalks celery, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 6 large carrots, peeled and cut in rounds (halve the rounds if they’re large so they soften)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin (I used 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp coriander)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons harissa (pepper paste found in middle eastern grocery stores) or dried red chile flakes or smoked paprika
• 1 (or part of 1) bunch parsley, chopped (about 1 cups), divided
• 1-2 bunch cilantro, chopped (about 3 cups), divided
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, or 4 cups tomato sauce
• 14 cups stock of your choice or water - add more as needed, but may need to add more spices. 
• 1 28oz can cooked chickpeas, drained, or 2 cups dried chickpeas soaked overnight and pre-cooked
• 2 cup (370 grams) brown (or green) lentils, rinsed
• 1-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1/4 pound angel hair pasta or vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces, added at very end
• Lemon juice (of 2 lemons or more), to taste
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until the onion turns translucent and begin to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, (coriander), harissa or chile flakes or paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt, half of the parsley and cilantro, crushed tomatoes, and the stock or water, and bring to a boil.
• Add cooked chickpeas and the (rinsed but uncooked) lentils, another teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper.
• Continue simmering until the lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes more. (Took a bit longer)
• Add remaining fresh herbs and the vermicelli/broken angel hair. Soup will thicken with the pasta. Add lemon juice to taste. Adjust salt, pepper and spices to taste.

Crispy Tempeh and Broccoli with Savory Tahini

 From Nutrition Action February, 2026

Umami rich combo of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, toasted sesame oil and tahini.  If you don’t have tahini, you can use any nut butter.  Fairly simple recipe.  Very tasty tempeh mixture especially.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp EVOO

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan (I used Nutritional Yeast)

1 tsp fresh thyme (I used less dried)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

8 oz tempeh crumbled

3 cups steamed broccoli florets (~3 minutes in steamer)

1 sweet potato any color, sliced and steamed (I microwaved them whole, then cut up)

TAHINI SAUCE:

1.5 Tbsp tahini

1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1.4 tsp toasted sesame oil 

DIRECTIONS:

1) In a large bowl, whisk the OO, parm (or Nutritional Yeast), thyme, garlic and black pepper.  Mix in the tempeh.

2) In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the tempeh mixture until browned and crispy in spots, 5-7 minutes

3) Make the tahini sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil with 1 Tbsp of water until smooth.

4) Divide the vegetables into bowls, top with the tempeh and drizzle with the tahini sauce.