Lamb Meatball, Garbanzo Bean, Lentil, and Tomato Soup (Harira)

In Morocco, this soup is called Harira - a hearty lamb, garbanzo bean and lentil soup. Today, was a soup kind-of-day with temperatures in the low 30's but windchill probably in the teens. It's been the coldest all year, surprisingly. There were even some snow flurries today at our house. How exciting! Lauren and Ari came over for dinner tonight so I made this soup, along with our favorite dill bread to soak up every last drop of this soup. I got this recipe from the cookbook Easy Soups From Scratch and Quick Breads To Match. My sister recently got this cookbook and had made three soups from this book and all were delicious. Well, now I can vouch for a fourth one to add to the list. In Morocco, this soup is traditionally served in the evening, after everyone has fasted all day during the holy month of Ramadan. The soup is seasoned with harissa, a fiery red-chili-and -spice paste.

I experimented how much Harissa to put in because the recipe says to "add to taste" so I will list how much I added. The recipe passed the taste test tonight, Lauren and Ari loved it and our dinner was perfect on this cold evening.

Serves 4-6

1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 Tbsp. harissa, plus extra for seasoning the soup
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into coins 1/4 inch thick
2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1-1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans or one 15-oz. can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
1-1/2 cups diced tomatoes in puree
1/2 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 medium medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3 Tbsp. couscous
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven in 425 degree. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

2. In a large bowl, mix the lamb with the 1/2 Tbsp. harissa, 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper and blend thoroughly.

3. Roll into balls and bake, stirring once, until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes.

4. Drain off and discard the fat. I placed on a paper towel to soak up any of the excess fat.

5. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute, stirring frequently until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

6. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin and cinnamon and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add more harissa to taste and stir to combine - I added 4 additional teaspoonfuls.

7. Add the chicken broth, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, and lentils to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are almost tender. Add the meatballs, dates, couscous, and cilantro and simmer, uncovered, until the couscous is tender and the soup has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.

8. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, adding more harissa, if desired.

9. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately.

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