Harira soup

This a middle eastern spicy soup that is perfect for a long slow cook and also used up all the cheap cuts of meat as well.

The ingredients you will need are.

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion

150g/5oz Diced boneless lamb meat

 6-7 tbsp  plain flour

150g/5oz Lamb ribs

400g/14oz very ripe tomatoes, liquidised

3 litres/5¼pints water

2 sticks celery

1 medium carrot

100g/3½oz dried chickpeas

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

2 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp mild curry powder

100g/3½oz lentils

A big bunch fresh parsley and

A big bunch fresh coriander

1 tsp ground cinnamon

100g/3½oz vermicelli

First let your chickpeas soak in some cold water to start with, as they do that you can start to get every thing else cooking .

Put a large pan on the stove and heat the oil . Add the onion finely diced and the lamb ribs and get them cooking.  Then breech the diced lamb in flour and then get that in the pan and brown every thing off. Now dice the carrot and slice the celery and get that in to the pan , drain the water of the chick peas and add them. Add the ground ginger, ground turmeric and curry powder and let this cook in to every thing and then add enough water just to cover every thing bring it to the boil and then let it simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Now blitz your tomatoes with a blender and add then to the pan, you can pass them threw a sieve to remove the pips if you like, I do not bother, and this should be rustic. You can just use a tin as well. Now get your lentils in to the pan and let it cook. It will take at lest another hour to cook if not longer all depending on the lamb. If you need to add, more water then do so, also stir it every now and then

Once the lamb is fully cooked and falling of the bone add the rest of the water, cinnamon and the pasta . Cook this for about another 10 minutes till the pasta is cooked and then you are ready to serve.

Add a good load of the fresh herbs and garnish with lemon wedges.