Harira is a traditional soup in Morocco and comes from the Maghreb region.
This is a vegetable soup, but with one egg, so not vegetarian, the egg is required for thickening. Harira is traditionally a ‘meat’ soup, so feel free to add cut up or pulled chicken, lamb or beef if you desire, however,  I AM a meat eater but don’t miss it in this hearty soup perhaps because of the addition of the sautéed mushrooms? Either way, as long as the weather stays cold, I’m not giving up my SOUP!!!

Ingredients

4 T SOOC Harissa Infused Olive Oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
3 – 4 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 -4 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled (your preference, I scrub if possible) and sliced diagonally
2 T SOOC Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 t to 1 T of ‘heat’ you can use red pepper flakes, sambal oelek, Sinai Gourmet Jwala Hot Sauce (more for sauce, less for dried)
2 t Sea Salt, or to taste
1 C parsley, chopped (I am not a parsley fan – but it really does add to this soup!)
1 C cilantro, chopped, plus extra for garnish
1 can (540 ml) tomatoes, crushed
7 cups (1.7 L) vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 can (540 ml) chickpeas, drained
1 cup (370 grams) green lentils, inspected for stones
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 8 oz. tray(227 gms) sliced white mushrooms, sautéed separately in 2 T SOOC Harissa Infused Olive Oil (or use butter)
2 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
1 large egg
Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

Heat the SOOC Harissa Infused Olive Oil, in a large stockpot over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until the onion turns translucent and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the SOOC Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic, turmeric, cumin, hot sauce or chili flakes, sea salt, 1 cup each of the parsley and cilantro, can of tomatoes, the stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, add the lentils, chickpeas, a teaspoon of pepper and continue simmering until the lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes.
Whisk the flour, egg, and lemon juice into 2 cups (470 ml) of water. Stir into the soup, also add the sautéed mushrooms at this point. Simmer the soup about 5 minutes more to thicken and serve, sprinkled with some cilantro and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt if you like. A wedge of lemon or lime to squeeze over won’t hurt either!  😉