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Tunisian Tomato Soup with Chickpeas and Lentils
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.
complex18 ingredients15 preparation steps
Ingredients
- lentils
- cinnamon stick
- water
- olive oil
- onions
- garlic
- salt
- turmeric
- cumin seeds
- ground cumin
- bay leaves
- crushed tomatoes
- chickpeas
- black pepper
- cayenne pepper
- currants
- plain yogurt
- parsley
Preparation
- 1in a large soup pot , place lentils with the cinnamon stick in 7 cups water and bring to a boil
- 2reduce heat and cook until tender , about 30 minutes
- 3remove and discard the cinnamon stick and drain the lentils , reserving the liquid
- 4meanwhile , heat oil in a soup pot
- 5add the onion , garlic , salt , turmeric , cumin seeds , ground cumin , and bay leaves
- 6saute over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the onions are soft
- 7if the pot gets a bit dry moisten with some of the reserved lentil water
- 8measure out the reserved lentil water and add water to reach 6 cups of liquid and return to soup pot with the spiced cooked onions
- 9add the canned crushed tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil
- 10lower heat to a simmer , partially cover and cook for another 15 minutes or so
- 11stir in the chickpeas and lentils and cook for about 5 minutes to warm through
- 12the legumes should not become mushy
- 13season to taste with the two peppers and lemon juice
- 14adjust salt
- 15serve hot with some yogurt [omit for vegan] , a sprinkling of parsley or mint , and currants , if desired