Photo: Harira: Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Chicken and Lentils Recipe
Harira is traditionally served each night of Ramadan to break the fast.
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound dried chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices
- 1 1/2 quarts rich chicken stock
- 1/4 pound dried green lentils
- 1/2 cup long-grain rice
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Cilantro sprigs, for garnishing
Directions
Pick over the chickpeas, cover with cold water, and soak overnight at room temperature. Drain chickpeas and rinse well with cold running water. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a medium stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken in batches, and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the onions and celery and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes and their juices, stirring well. Stir in the chicken stock, lentils, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour.
Add the rice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and return the soup to a simmer. Cook covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes.
Ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.
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By conchispita
College Park, MD
on November 25, 2012
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Lost my old Harira recipe and have been looking for a replacement. This recipe was perfect! I only changed a few things:
-I cooked the chickpeas longer than directed. Started cooking them an hour or so before I started prepping for the soup. I think ideally you would cook them for a couple hours and then add them to the soup when you add the lentils.
-I cooked the onions in butter since I prefer the flavor butter adds.
-Used a mixture of garam masala and dry mustard instead of tumeric....not the same as tumeric, but close enough...it still tasted great!
-Didn't add the rice because I didn't want it to get soggy
-I didn't have any chicken so I didn't include it, but this soup was still very hearty without it. May try it with chicken next time!
By brushfootbetsy_...
Glenmont, NY
on November 24, 2012
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Deep, wonderfully complex flavor makes this stew a winner! The only change that I make isn't much of a change at all: I do not cut the chicken into pieces before browning, but rather allow the thighs to fall apart and shred on their own during the course of simmering and stirring. I dare you to try this recipe! You will be hooked!
By treesavio_12886892
Lake Hopatcong, 70
on October 14, 2012
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This remains one of my all-time favorite stew recipes. Have made it over and over and the whole family loves it (and there are some picky eaters in the house. Do not be afraid to made subtle substitutions: I have used 1 can chickpeas instead of dry (rinse well, chicken breasts instead of thighs (it's what I had at the time and lemon juice from a plastic lemon...again, it's what I had on hand. Fresh cilantro makes this dish amazing, do not go without it. Have also used brown/black wild rice blend. Looking forward to colder whether so we can enjoy this again.
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