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.