Vegan Harira (Moroccan Tomato, Lentil & Chickpea Soup)

Ingredients

For 6 portions

• 🏺 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 🧅 1 medium onions
• 🪴 2 sticks celery
• 🧄 3 cloves garlic
• 🪴 10g ginger
• 🪴 1 Tsp turmeric
• 🌿 1 Tsp cinnamon
• 🌿 1 Tsp cumin powder
• 🌿 0.5 Tsp black pepper
• 🥫 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 🥫 400g canned tomatoes
• 🫘 150g red lentils (dry)
• 🫘 240g chickpeas, canned
• 🍆 1 cube vegetable stock cube
• 🥤 1,600ml tap water
• 🍝 50g spaghetti (dry)
• 🌾 2 Tbsp flour
• 🌿 25g parsley
• 🌿 25g fresh coriander
• 🧂 1.5 Tsp salt
• 🍋 1 medium lemon

Method

1. Finely chop the onion and celery, mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Rinse the red lentils. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Finely chop the parsley and coriander, keeping the stalks and leaves separate.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery and the chopped herb stalks for 8 minutes until soft.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and black pepper and stir for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the tomato paste for 30 seconds, then add the canned tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, crumbled stock cube (check it's vegan), 1.4 litres of the water and the salt.
5. Bring to the boil, then simmer, partly covered, for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have broken down and thickened the soup.
6. Break the spaghetti into 2 cm pieces (or use vermicelli) and add to the pot. Simmer for 8–10 minutes until tender.
7. Whisk the flour into the remaining 200 ml cold water until smooth (this is the traditional tedouira that gives harira its silky body). Pour it into the soup in a thin stream, stirring constantly, and simmer for 3–4 minutes until it thickens.
8. Stir in most of the chopped parsley and coriander leaves. Taste and add more salt or pepper.
9. Ladle into bowls, top with the remaining herbs and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over and warm flatbread. Traditionally eaten with dates on the side.