Ramadan soup from Morocco

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 100 g chickpeas
• 100 g lentils, red
• 1,000 g potatoes
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 celery
• 2 onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 250 g beef
• 1 ½ liters of meat broth
• 2 kg beefsteak tomatoes
• 1 bunch parsley, flat
• 60 g rice
• 1 lemon(s), juice
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• ½ tsp harissa (careful, very hot)
• 1 tsp coriander, ground
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• cornstarch
• Salt and pepper, black, freshly ground
• Olive oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time approx. 13 hours 50 minutes

Original name Harira

Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water for about 12 hours. Then drain them in a sieve and let them drain. Sort and wash the lentils. Wash and peel the potatoes and carrot. Wash and trim the celery. Cut the potatoes into small cubes, the carrot into slices, and the celery crosswise into fine strips. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the garlic. Rinse the meat with cold water, pat dry, and cut into small cubes. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then fry the meat and onions over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Press in the garlic. Add the potatoes, carrot, and celery, fry briefly, and deglaze with the meat stock. Add the chickpeas and lentils, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour, skimming off any foam that forms. In the meantime, pour boiling water over the tomatoes, peel them, remove the stems, and puree them with a hand blender or blender. Wash the parsley, shake it dry, and finely chop the coarse stems. After 1 hour of cooking, add the tomato puree, parsley, rice, lemon juice, harissa, and spices to the soup, stir well, and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with a little cold water and stir into the soup. Season to taste with pepper and salt and serve with flatbread or baguette. During the fasting month of Ramadan, nothing may be eaten between sunrise and sunset. This soup opens the evening menu.