Tunisian chicken soup with harissa

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 chicken (soup chicken)
• Chicken giblets
• 4 liters of water
• 1 bunch of leeks
• 500 g carrot(s), coarsely diced
• 1 celeriac, roughly diced
• 5 stalk(s) leeks, sliced
• 2 tsp spice paste (harissa)
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup(s) pasta (kritharaki), Greek rice noodles

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Shorba

Bring the chicken and giblets to a boil in 3.5-4 liters of cold water. To further enhance the flavor, I also add goose giblets. Simmer for a good 1.5 to 2 hours, then sieve. Remove the chicken meat and tear it into small, bite-sized pieces. Cover the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and lightly fry the tomato paste, stirring in the olive oil. Now add the stock, diced carrots, celery, and leek. Season the stock with salt and harissa, about 1-2 teaspoons. Caution: It’s very hot! (You can get harissa at any good Turkish restaurant.) Let this simmer for another hour. Now add the meat and a cup of cooked kritharaki, and you’re done. Sprinkle the fresh, very finely chopped parsley over the top at the table. In Tunisia, this dish is served with the country’s typical flatbread, but regular baguette tastes just as good. Shorba can also be used as a base for couscous. All you need is the couscous and the chickpeas.