WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
There are countless adaptations of the traditional Moroccan soup called harira, depending on the region or even the family. They all share the use of tomatoes, legumes, dried spices, and fresh herbs. Often lamb or chicken is included, but our version is vegetarian. Many versions include fresh greens, and we particularly love to stir in a generous amount of tender, earthy-sweet Swiss chard at the end of cooking. As for
the rest, we streamlined the ingredients and technique for this classic dish to deliver bold North African flavors in just a fraction of the time. Using canned chickpeas rather than dried saved about 2 hours of cooking time. Paring down the number of spices and fresh herbs made for more efficient prep. Finishing the dish with lemon juice helped focus all the flavors. We like to garnish this soup with a small amount of harissa, a fiery North African chili paste, which is available at most well-stocked supermarkets. We prefer brown or green lentils for this recipe, but it will work with any type of lentil except red or yellow (note that cooking times will vary depending on the type used).
SERVES: 6 to 8
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped fine
- 2 celery ribs, chopped fine
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup minced fresh cilantro
- ½ cup minced fresh parsley
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
- 1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup orzo
- 4 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup harissa (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Sauté aromatics: Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup cilantro and ¼ cup parsley and cook for 1 minute.
- Add broth, water, chickpeas, and lentils: Stir in broth, water, chickpeas, and lentils, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and gently simmer until lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and orzo: Stir in tomatoes and pasta and return to a simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes.
- Add Swiss chard and lemon juice: Stir in chard and cook until pasta is tender, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice, remaining ¼ cup cilantro, and remaining ¼ cup parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve, drizzling individual portions with harissa, if using, and passing lemon wedges separately.
