Harira
For a soup packed with this much flavor, there are surprisingly few ingredients. The marrow bones lend richness, pureed tomatoes add depth of flavor, ginger and saffron round out the spice, and a flour and water slurry makes for a silky finish.
It’s important to start with dried beans–though I’m usually a fan, canned beans won’t work here–so that you can control the texture of the finished soup. For that reason alone, you’ll have to plan ahead just a little.
Rinse a pound of dried chick peas (aka garbanzo beans), and pick out any stones. Place in a soup pot or dutch oven and cover with water. Let soak overnight.
To begin the soup, place the lamb cubes and marrow bones in a large soup pot, cover with 18 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Let me emphasize that: a really large soup pot. As you may notice from my pictures, I had to change pots midway in this recipe because my 5 1/2 quart dutch oven wasn’t big enough.
Skim off scum as it rises to the top of pot, until there is no more.
Add drained chick peas and lentils to soup and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat a neutral oil (like canola or safflower) over a medium flame. Add chopped onions and cook until golden, stirring frequently. Add sauteed onions to the pot and let the soup simmer for about an hour.
I like the brightness of fresh tomatoes in this soup, but you could also use whole peeled canned tomatoes. To easily peel the fresh ones, add the tomatoes, one at a time, to a small saucepan of boiling water. Remove after 30 seconds.
The skin should now be cracked and pulling away from the pulp; use your fingers or a small paring knife to remove it. Slice the tomatoes into wedges.
Place tomatoes, fresh or canned, in a blender and pulse until completely pureed. Pour the tomato puree into the soup.
Pulverize the saffron in a mortar and pestle. This teeny one was gift from my cousin–isn’t it cute? Add the saffron powder to the pot, along with the ground ginger.
Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding more water if the soup is getting too thick. Simmer another half hour or so.
In a small bowl, mix together flour and enough cold water to make a paste. Pour into the soup while stirring quickly to avoid lumps. This will thicken the base and add a velvety texture.
Stir orzo pasta into the soup and cook another 15 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in freshly chopped parsley and cilantro. Add lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice, until the flavor is bright and citrusy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
This hearty soup pairs beautifully with a hearty but simple salad of baby kale, dressed with a lemony vinaigrette. A warm baguette, a selection of cheeses, a bottle of wine, and we were ready (almost) to deal with whatever Mother Nature had in store for us.
Adapted from The Book of Jewish Food, by Claudia Roden
Serves 12 or more:
1 pound chick peas
water to cover
1 pound cubed lamb
3 or 4 marrow bones
18 cups water
1 pound lentils
3 yellow onions, chopped
2 tablespoons neutral oil
2 pounds tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup flour
cold water
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste