MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKPEA AND NOODLE SOUP

Makes 8 servings

Harira is a traditional Moroccan dish most closely associated with Ramadan

— it’s often served to break the day’s fast — and likely to be found simmering

lazily on my stovetop when the weather turns chilly. It’s basic, simple to

make, thick and satisfying — almost as much stew as soup and, like stew,

better the day after it’s made. It’s the deeply fragrant spices — both very

comforting and just a little exotic — that first draw you in and tip you to the

fact that the soup’s roots are in North Africa. The mix includes ginger,

turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and saffron. And then it’s the combination of

add-ins that keeps you coming back: lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes and broken

strands of thin noodles. Some recipes for harira are meatless, some aren’t;

this one includes small meatballs. Though you can skip them, if you’d like, I

usually don’t: I like having another texture in the mix, and I love how they

pick up and absorb the soup’s flavors.

1 tablespoon olive oil (if including the meatballs)

1 pound (454 grams) ground beef, formed into about 20 meatballs, 1 to 2 inches in

diameter (optional)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped, rinsed and patted dry

3 garlic cloves, germ removed (see sidebar) and finely chopped

2 celery stalks, including leaves, finely sliced

3½ tablespoons ground ginger

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1½ teaspoons ground turmeric

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Large pinch of saffron threads

One 28-ounce (794-gram) can diced tomatoes in juice or puree

½ cup (20 grams) chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

About 2 quarts (about 2 liters) chicken or vegetable broth or water, or more if needed

¾ cup (180 grams) red (or coral) lentils

One 15-ounce (425-gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

¼ pound (113 grams) angel hair pasta, broken into short pieces

1 to 2 lemons

WOR K I NG A H E A D

The soup can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days. It will thicken

considerably, so you’ll need to thin it with broth or water and then adjust the

seasonings before serving.

If you want to include the meatballs, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or

large saucepan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring, just

until they are colored on all sides, about 5 minutes. (You don’t have to cook

them all the way through, because they’ll be cooked further in the soup.)

Transfer the meatballs to a bowl, pour out the oil and carefully give the pot a

swipe with a paper towel.

Melt the butter in the pot over medium-low heat and add the onions,

garlic and celery. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables

just start to soften. Add the spices, stirring, so they blend with the vegetables

and don’t burn. Cook the spices for just a couple of minutes, then stir in the

tomatoes and half of the parsley or cilantro; return the meatballs, if you’ve

made them, to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for 10

minutes, stirring now and then.

Add the broth or water to the pot, increase the heat and bring to a boil.

Adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers, stir in the lentils, partially cover

the pot and let everything bubble away gently for 1 hour. Take a peek at

what’s going on now and then. If it looks as if the liquid is cooking away, add

more broth or water, ¼ to ½ cup at a time.

Add the chickpeas and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes more. Taste

and see if you’d like to stir in more of any of the spices.

Just before you’re ready to serve, stir in the broken pasta. Cook,

uncovered, for 4 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir in the rest of the

parsley or cilantro.

Lemon juice is a must, but you have a choice with it: You can add it in the

kitchen and then ladle out the soup, or put lemon wedges on the table and

make it a do-it-yourself affair.