Harira Soup

Vegan

This has to be one of Viva!’s most favourite soups. It’s a soupy stew so practically a meal in itself, but try it with salad and wholemeal bread for an even more substantial feast. Despite its sumptuous flavours, it is also low fat, so a bit of a winner really!

It would easily lend itself to a crockpot/slow cooker. Just lightly fry the onions in a little oil spray with the spices then add everything else. Put the crockpot on the lowest setting and let it do its aromatic thing.

Serves:

4 - 6

Time:

50 minutes - or 10 minutes preparation plus overnight cooking in a slow cooker

Gluten free

No nuts

No sesame

No soya

Reduced fat

Reduced sugar

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
1L vegetable stock (eg Green Oxo, Kallo vegetable cubes or Marigold bouillon in red or purple tub - not the green tub)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 good pinch of cayenne or chilli powder
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 medium-large potato, diced
A pinch of saffron
1 tin of brown or green lentils
1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges to serve

Method:

1. In a soup pan, simmer onions in 1 cup of stock for 10 minutes.

2. Combine cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and cayenne in a small bowl and add 2-3 tbsp of hot liquid to form a paste.

3. Stir this paste into pot along with carrots, celery and remaining stock.

4. Bring to boil then lower heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes and potatoes and continue to cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes tender. Crumble in the saffron.

6. Stir in lentils, chickpeas, coriander, lemon, salt and pepper.
Serve hot, with lemon wedges on the side - and harissa paste if you like a little extra spiciness.