Harira (Moroccan Soup)

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 white onion
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (411g)
• 618 g red lentils
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 2.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1.5 tsp turmeric
• 1 block tofu
• optional: 2 pinches saffron or marigold petals

Directions

Soup

1. Half and quarter 1 white onion.
2. Add to a food processor with 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Blend to make a slurry.
3. Chop cilantro and flat-leaf parsley.
4. Rinse lentils.
5. Toast spices until fragrant in olive oil in a large heavy based pot.
6. Add half the slurry, then the chickpeas with their canned juices, and lentils. Stir and add in the parsley and cilantro.
7. Add 2 cups of water and 1 tsp salt.
8. Cook for 40 minutes total, stirring occasionally, and adding more slurry and water as necessary to finish cooking the lentils. When the lentils are toothsome, they are finished.
9. Add in roughly chopped tofu 5 minutes before the lentils are done.
10. Feel free to add a cornstarch slurry to thicken.
11. Salt and pepper to taste.
12. Optionally: add 2 pinches of saffron or marigold petals after adding the slurry.