497- Harira Soup / شوربة الحريرة

Ingredients :

Ingredients for the soup base:
150 grams (5 oz.) lamb meat, cut into small cubes
A handful of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and peeled
A handful of dried lentils
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and pureed
1 medium onion, grated
1 tablespoon very finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon very finely chopped cilantro  
1 tablespoon very finely chopped celery leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon smen (optional)
1 liter (4 cups) water

Additional ingredients:
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons very finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and cilantro, mixed
500 ml (2 cups) water
1/4 cup uncooked broken vermicelli

Ingredients for tedouira:
110 grams (1/2 cup) all-purpose white flour
500 ml (2 cups) lukewarm water

Directions :

Step 1: Ahead of time
1- The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in water.
2- Once the chickpeas become soft, peel them. To save time, soak and peel a large amount of chickpeas, then place them in an airtight container and freeze them!
Note: You can use canned chickpeas drained from their water; however, don’t add them to the soup until the end along with the vermicelli.

Step 2: Cooking the soup base
3- Place all the ingredients of the soup base except water (lamb, chickpeas, lentils, tomato, onion, herbs, spices, and smen) in a pressure cooker or a large pot.

4- Over medium heat, cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes stirring from time to time.

5- Add 1 liter (4 cups) of water to the thick mixture, cover the pot, and cook over high heat until pressure is achieved. Then reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and release the pressure.
Note: if you are using a regular pot instead of a pressure cooker, you may have to cook the soup for longer.

6- Now, add the tomato paste and extra chopped parsley and cilantro. Add 500 ml (2 cups) of water and mix. Cover the pot and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.  

Step 3: Thickening the soup
7- To make the soup thickener (tedouira), combine the flour and 500 ml of lukewarm water in a bowl. Whisk until the flour is completely dissolved and set aside.

8- Back to the harira pot. Reduce the heat to medium, release the pressure, and open the pressure cooker. Check on the harira, the meat and chickpeas should be cooked.  If so, on medium heat, slowly add the tedouira little by little while constantly stirring. You will notice the soup getting thicker. You can control the thickness of the soup depending to your taste by adding more or less of the tedouira.

Step 4: Final steps
9- About 10 minutes before serving, heat the harira over medium heat. Once the soup starts simmering, add the broken vermicelli to the soup and cook about 5 minutes until the noodles become soft.

10- Serve harira hot with a wedge of lemon and along with dates and chebakiya.