Harira

If using canned chickpeas, drain them in a sieve and rinse. Cut the lamb into 2 cm cubes, finely chop the onion and celery, purée the tomatoes with a blender or grate them, and chop the parsley and cilantro, setting aside a few cilantro leaves for serving.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the lamb, onion and celery, and sauté for 6–8 minutes, until the meat is lightly browned and the vegetables are soft.

Add the turmeric, black pepper, ground ginger, saffron and cinnamon, stir and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, add the tomato paste, lentils, parsley and 1.5 L of water. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb and lentils are tender. Add the chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes.

Mix the wheat flour with 120 ml of cold water until you have a smooth, lump-free slurry. Pour it into the soup in a thin stream, whisking constantly.

Add the vermicelli and cook uncovered for another 8–10 minutes, until it is tender and the soup has noticeably thickened. If the harira turns out too thick, add a little more water.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the cilantro and lemon juice, season with salt to taste and let the soup rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with the reserved cilantro leaves.