Harira

This is a vegetarian version of Harira, a lentil and chickpea Moroccan soup usually made to break the fast at Ramadan. I made this soup in order to use up some stewed, frozen tomatoes I'd made at the end of the Summer. The recipe is from "Bountiful Vegan: Soups and Stews for Every Time of the Year" by Nava Atlas: 2 T. olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 celery stalks, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 cup dried brown lentils 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 1/2 tsp cinnamon 6 cups of water or veg broth 2 cups tomatoes one 16 oz. can chickpeas rinsed and drained juice of 1/2 lemon(slice remainder for garnish) 1/4 cup chopped parsley or more to taste salt and pepper heat the oil and sautee the onions 5 minutes, then add celery and garlic to saute until the onions are golden. Add lentils, spices and water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat to simmer gently until the lentils are just tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and chickpeas. Adjust the consistency with more water if needed, and adjust the spices to taste. Simmer for 15 mins longer over very low heat. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, season with salt and pepper. garnish with lemon slices. So put on your Berber dress and enjoy your soup!