Harira soup

There are few soups that one can say has left it's mark on them, with the exception of this one. The "Harira", the quintessential Moroccan soup is a staple of any true Moroccan cook and his or her family. In my home, it was usually made to open fasts or for special occasions. My father, who eats almost no vegetables, loves this soup, as long as large spoonfuls of harissa are added of course.
Here's what you'll need to make a large pot:








1 large beef knuckle (in french it's called: jarret de boeuf)
1 large onion, diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 cup of celery plus leaves, chopped
3 large ripe tomatoes, finely diced (or 1 large can of tomatoes mashed with juice)

*tip: if you don't like large bits of veggies or just don't want to chop, you can pulse all the veggies including the tomatoes in the food processor into a fine chop


1 can of lentils, drained
1 can of chick peas, drained
1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
water to cover

to be added afterwards:
juice of 1 lemon or 1 tsp sour salt (to be used at the end)
1 to 2 tbsp flour that you mix well with 1/4 cup of water to thicken (to be used at the end)
1/4 cup of rice (to be added at the end)
less than 1/4 cup of vermicelli pasta (to be added at the end)

Place all the ingredients except for the ones noted to be added afterwards in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, stir well, then cover the pot and lower to a simmer. In a regular pot this must cook for at least an hour (if using dry lentils and chick peas, it might be longer), if using a pressure cooker, this takes half the time. After about an hour, add in the rice and pasta and cook till tender, then add the lemon and finally only before serving, add the flour slurry that you prepared and stir well, let simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes till the soup thickens and serve!

PS: not a pic of my soup, but looks pretty close