Harira

Ingredients

• 1 oz angel hair pasta 
• 1 lb beef cut into 1/2-in/12-mm cubes
• 1 cup garbanzo beans canned rinsed
• 1 cup celery stalks green finely chopped
• 12  dates 
• 12  figs dried
• 0.3 cup flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup cilantro leaves fresh loosely packed finely chopped
• 0.3 cup parsley fresh loosely packed finely chopped
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1 tsp ground ginger 
• 1  juice of lemon 
• 1  optional: lemon cut into wedges
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 8 servings pepper black freshly ground
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste 
• 28 oz tomatoes whole with all the juices peeled seeded canned

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan
• whisk
• pot

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, put the meat, celery, onion, parsley, cilantro, butter, ginger, and cinnamon. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Cover with 6 cups/1.5 L water, stir well, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and chickpeas, and stir in 1 1/2 cups/360 ml water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, warm 1 cup/240 ml water and whisk in the flour and lemon juice.
4. Remove from the heat, let sit for 10 minutes, and then whisk again.
5. Add the flour mixture to the soup in a slow but steady stream while continually stirring. Cook, stirring frequently to avoid any sticking, for 10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle in the vermicelli and cook until the pasta is tender, about 5 minutes. The texture of the soup should be velvety.
7. Serve in bowls with lemon wedges on the side and with the dates and figs on a small platter.
8. Reprinted with permission from Morocco: A Culinary Journey with Recipes from the Spice-Scented Markets of Marrakech to the Date-Filled Oasis of Zagora by Jeff Koehler. Copyright © 2012 by Jeff Koehler. Published by Chronicle Books LLC.