Harrira/Harira...Yumminess in a Bowl

So our family loves ourselves some soup/stew. Love, love, LOVE it!! Although FL (East Coast) summers are not ideal for eating soup (I say "eating" since I put so much dang stuff in it that it's definitely a stand-alone meal). Anyhoo, the Hubby came home from being out to sea for the summer and I definitely need to start feeding that belly with some good, HEALTHY food. With him home, that means cooking for an entire neighborhood is back in effect!

So, the first time I had harrira/harira was at the Lebanese Taverna in Rockville, MD. It was this past winter holiday season when the Hubby was out to sea (effectively missing Turkey Day, Xmas, New Year's, our anniversary, & my birthday for the 2nd year in a row) so the kids and I spent the holidays with The Fam in DC. Anyhoo...back to The Soup. Oh my yumminess was I in love...except that it was mildly spicy due to all the SALT it had. Yeah, that was the only drawback. But, the flavors were out of sight and just like nothing I had had before. So, once settled back in FL and thinking about our time in DC, I remembered The Soup.

I came across many different recipes, many of them calling for lamb. We're not big lamb people and the only time I can stomach lamb is in a gyro. The gaminess is what gets me. Anyhoo, I've gotten a pretty good knack at perusing recipes and weeding out what won't be good. I finally narrowed it down to about 5 recipes and then to 3 and finally down to Emeril Lagasse's recipe. Emeril says it's Moroccan. I had it at the Lebanese Taverna. I've seen it under other ethnicities but really was just too excited to make it to narrow down which ethnicity can claim it. Till then, this Middle Eastern soup is just SO good. BTW...one thing I did find out that was the same across the board is that harrira/harira is a soup used to break fast during Ramadan.

It's definitely got a bunch of different spices...and normally ones I'm not really fond of in savory foods (ie. cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.). But, OH MY MY MY MY...this is so good. Anyway...if you're looking for a new twist on a veggie soup, try this one out!!!

I'm not one to follow recipes when cooking (just baking and I still deviate at times with those...esp. when it comes to adding cinnamon and/or vanilla). So, I've added my additions in red...but mainly I just eyeball everything. So, all the measurements for the spices below, I just kept pouring it out until I was satisfied with the amount. ;o) Keep in mind, I like spices, cilantro, and LOTS o' veggies/fiber in my dishes. Plus, the kids love this soup (toddlers with very global palates), so I definitely take this opportunity to sneak in lots of veggies!! Also, my end result was a filled-to-the-brim 8QT All-Clad stockpot...;o) I don't exaggerate when I say I cook for the neighborhood.

Harrira/Harira

adapted from Emeril's Harira Recipe

1/4 pound dried chickpeas (I use 2 cans of chickpeas...kinda too busy to be soakin' 'em bad boys)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup diced onions (I used a large & medium size onion)

1/2 cup diced celery (I probably used about 6+ huge stalks)

Carrots, diced (I actually used about 8+ carrots...I'm telling you, VEGGIE-intensive over here)

Garlic, minced (I used about 5-6+ cloves...garlic is my addiction)

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices

1 1/2 quarts rich chicken stock (I used more since I had a lot more of everything added...and the rice will soak up a lot of the liquid)

1/4 pound dried green lentils (I used ~1/2 lb. or more)

1/2 cup long-grain rice (I used brown rice about 2-3x as much)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (again, I used A LOOOOOOOOOOT of cilantro)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (I probably used about a 3/4-1 cup of this)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Cilantro sprigs, for garnishing

Pick over the chickpeas, cover with cold water, and soak overnight at room temperature. Drain chickpeas and rinse well with cold running water. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken in batches, and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the onions and celery and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes and their juices, stirring well. Stir in the chicken stock, lentils, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour.

Add the rice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and return the soup to a simmer. Cook covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes.

Ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.