Tunisian Tomato Soup With Chickpeas and Lentils |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 75 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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A variation on a Molly Katzen recipe I found on the Internet. Though the spices are quite different, the basic ingredients - tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas - remind me of the popular Moroccan soup called harrira. Have not yet tried this one but as fall comes, this will certainly make an appearance in my soup pot. Ingredients:
1 cup lentils, sorted & rinsed |
1 cinnamon stick |
7 cups water (more or less) |
1 tablespoon olive oil |
3 cups minced onions |
2 tablespoons minced garlic |
2 teaspoons salt |
1 teaspoon turmeric |
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds |
2 teaspoons ground cumin |
3 bay leaves |
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes |
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (canned is fine) |
black pepper |
cayenne pepper |
currants (optional) |
plain yogurt (optional) |
parsley, chopped (optional) |
fresh mint, chopped (optional) |
Directions:
1. In a large soup pot, place lentils with the cinnamon stick in 7 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and drain the lentils, reserving the liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, salt, turmeric, cumin seeds, ground cumin, and bay leaves. Saute over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the onions are soft. If the pot gets a bit dry moisten with some of the reserved lentil water.
3. Measure out the reserved lentil water and add water to reach 6 cups of liquid and return to soup pot with the spiced cooked onions. Add the canned crushed tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook for another 15 minutes or so.
4. Stir in the chickpeas and lentils and cook for about 5 minutes to warm through. The legumes should not become mushy.
5. Season to taste with the two peppers and lemon juice; adjust salt.
6. Serve hot with some yogurt [omit for Vegan], a sprinkling of parsley or mint, and currants, if desired.
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