Harira Soup

Interesting bit of info that I learned in a wine tasting class for college credit! (I live in CA Wine Country) Your tongue has a gene for either liking or disliking cilantro! It is not an acquired taste! You either like or you don't.

Excellent recipe. I always add just a touch of acidity to recipes with spices like this -- usually, just a tablespoon or so of vinegar.

For many of us, any dish calling for cilantro can be transformed from tasting like a dish of soap to something marvelous simply by omitting the cilantro...

I have found that substituting parsley alone for cilantro, as is frequently suggested, is not enough - it is too bitter. I usually cut the bitterness by doing a mix of parsley with something else, usually either Thai basil or mint.

I love this soup, even on a 90-degree day. I don't like celery so I left that out, soup recipes are forgiving. I used more of most of the spices and added garlic scapes, spinach, and some asparagus I had in the fridge. The lemon is a must. I also sprinkled feta on top when I served it. Absolutely delicious.

A crowd pleaser for my family. Since the the spices go in one after another while the soup is low in liquid and very hot, it is difficult not to char the first spice in and undercook the last one. Problem is solved by blending all spices together before adding them to the base. They can all be added at once.

I think adding a quickly seared lamb neck- or shoulder- chop, cut into tiny cubes, adds a wonderful depth of flavor to this soup. I also always include a few cardamom seeds which I first grind in a mortar. Water is traditional but chicken stock adds more body.

Don't just eliminate cilantro if you dislike it - substitute chopped parsley. You will need the "brightness."

I fell in love with this soup as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. This is great version. The one thing I see missing here from the traditional recipe that I brought home, besides the lamb, is a couple of eggs-- lightly beaten then poured in to cook while the soup is simmering.

I am not the world's most experienced cook and I am a little confused about the instructions in step 2. Specifically, what is being brought to a brisk simmer? There is no liquid in the pot other than 2 tbsp. of olive oil and whatever sweats out of the tomato. I added a 1/2 cup of chicken stock at this point to be safe.

Fantastic flavors. Easy. Made twice. Per recipe & w/ ‘quick cook’ changes. 1) This is hot with specified cayenne. Reduce by half if ‘heat sensitive’. 2) Sub parsley for those who don’t like cilantro flavor. We added 50% more cilantro. 3) Quick cook; sub good diced canned tomatoes for fresh & use can (15 oz) of drained & rinsed garbanzos for dried and soaked. Starting w/ dry is better but if you forget to soak the beans, I did 2nd time, this works.

I made this following the recipe to the letter and it came out pretty tasty. One thing I’ll change in the next iteration is to substantially reduce (1.5 cup total) of legumes as that’d be more faithful to the local version. (I live in Morocco and that was the consensus feedback from my Moroccan friends and family).

Delicious through the 3rd day.
I doubled the amount of garlic. Saffron makes no difference in recipe. It was such rich soup I left out the pasta, and don't feel it is a necessary item to include. 1/4 tsp cayenne made this soup very spicy but delicious. If you are uncertain about the heat, go for 1/8 tsp cayenne instead. I also used canned chickpeas. I used 6-7 cups liquid as my pot was just not large enough for 8 cups. (runnith over) I used one quart chicken broth, the rest water.

This dish, any dish really, can be vastly improved by omitting the cilantro! ;)

This sounds delicious and will be made today.

I happen to love cilantro.

And friends with nursery tastes.

Both add flavor and diversity to life.

:)

Yes, dried ginger is the same as the ground ginger you can find in groceries. You can also use an actual dried piece of ginger, then either grate it or grind it as you see fit.