Moroccan Lentil & Chickpea Soup
You might tax the capacity of your spice cabinet with this one!
The combination of middle eastern spices makes this one fragrant and flavorful. The addition of a bit of pasta makes it a little bit fun too!
The recipe calls for small bits of capellini pasta but any leftover pasta will do. The version in the photo includes rigatoni, boiled until just tender enough to slice into slender rings without breaking.
Ingredients:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, inner leaves are fine, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne
6 cups broth, vegetable or chicken or water
1 28 ounce canned, whole or crushed tomatoes
1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
a tiny pinch of saffron (optional)
1–2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup brown or green lentils
1 1/2 cups or 1 15- ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 teaspoons honey (if needed)
1/4 pound capellini pasta, broken into approximately 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, stems are great
1/2 cup parsley
Directions
Saute onions for 5 minutes in olive oil, over medium heat.
Add celery, garlic, ginger, pepper, turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne. Stir for another minute. Sautéing the spices allows them to bloom and deepen in flavor.
Add broth, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, saffron, salt, red lentils, brown lentils, half of the cilantro and half of the parsley. Bring to a simmer, cover with a vented lid, for 30 minutes.
Add Chickpeas and pasta cook 5-10 minutes more. (see notes)
Add honey and remaining fresh herbs.
Serve with :
Flavorful cheese or plain yogurt