Harira: Moroccan chickpea & noodle soup
This unusual soup is a Middle Eastern classic. Some versions include lamb but this vegetarian version is full of health giving vegetables and zingy spices. Topped with dates for a delicious sweet contrast.
FOR THE ROASTED CARROTS
500g carrots, peeled and cut into batons.
Olive or coconut oil
1 tablespoon of honey
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon nigella (black onion) seeds
FOR THE SALAD
Half a cucumber, peeled into ribbons.
4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small red onion, finely sliced
The juice of 1 lime
FOR THE SPICED CASHEWS
Optional: 20 curry leaves.
1 teaspoon dried turmeric
1 onion, finely sliced
100g cashew nuts
TO SERVE
A large bunch of coriander, chopped
2 large red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (One chilli is meant to be mixed in, but I serve both on the side to keep the kids happy.)
70g desiccated coconut, dry fried until lightly golden.
1 lime, quartered, for squeezing over.
Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
Put the carrots in a roasting tray with a good drizzle of olive oil and the honey. Scatter over the mustard and nigella seeds and roast them for 30 minutes, until starting to caramelize.
Put the cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion into a bowl and toss with the lime juice and a little salt. Use a large bowl, because later you’ll be mixing in the carrots.
Make the spiced cashews. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the curry leaves and turmeric. Stir for a moment, then mix in the onion. Two minutes later add the cashews too, and fry them until golden and toasted. Spread them on a plate to cool and sprinkle with salt.
Remove the carrots from the oven and add them to the salad mixture, scraping up the seeds too if they’re not too burnt.
To serve, you need a large platter, or two dinner plates. Spread the ingredients out on the platter in the following order –
Put the lime segments around the edge, or squeeze them directly over the salad. We eat this with flat breads or chapattis, but it’s also nice on its own.
Enjoy!
This unusual soup is a Middle Eastern classic. Some versions include lamb but this vegetarian version is full of health giving vegetables and zingy spices. Topped with dates for a delicious sweet contrast.
The spices provide a smoky base note to the flavour profile of this dish. Imagine how good that tastes with feta and coriander and lime juice stirred through – it gives a beautiful range of flavours within each mouthful. The textures of this dish are interesting too – we were fighting over the black beans.
My kids like this salad, but it’s probably not thanks to the vegetables. More likely they are enjoying the rare chance to dip fresh white bread into all the lovely dressing, but I do get some veggies down them at the same time. If you’re looking for a filling salad which is big enough for a family dinner, read on.
The perfect comfort food, pilau rice is easy to make and counts as a meal in itself if you top it with an egg. The goji berries in this version add a healthy kick and a lovely flavour.