North African couscous soup

By: Greg Malouf, Lucy Malouf
From: New Middle Eastern Food
Serves: 6
Photographer: Mark Roper

Similar to a traditional Moroccan harira, this soup is chock-full of nutty chickpeas and lamb, and thick with couscous. Throw in some fresh mint and parsley and serve it with warm Arabic flatbread and a big dollop of creamy yoghurt for a filling winter lunch.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
60ml	olive oil
250g	lamb leg steak, cut into small chunks
1	medium onion, finely chopped
2	garlic cloves, crushed with 1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon	coriander seeds, roasted and ground
1 tablespoon	cumin seeds, roasted and ground
1 teaspoon	ground allspice
1 teaspoon	chilli powder
1 teaspoon	sweet paprika
400g	can crushed tomatoes
1	green chilli, seeded, scraped and finely shredded
1 teaspoon	honey
100g	chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
800ml	good-quality chicken stock
500ml	water
	sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g	couscous
1 tablespoon	finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon	finely chopped fresh mint
1	lemon, juiced

Method

Heat the olive oil and sauté the lamb pieces. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Add the onion and cook over a gentle heat until soft. Then add the garlic, coriander, cumin, allspice, chilli powder and paprika, and mix well with the onion. Cook for a further 2 minutes and then return the lamb to the pan. Add the tomatoes, chilli and honey.
Stir well before adding the chickpeas, stock and water. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 45–60 minutes, or until the chickpeas are tender. When you are ready to serve, taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the couscous to the pot, cover and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley and mint and sprinkled with lemon juice.

Tags:: Malouf; Greg; Lucy; Middle; Eastern

North African couscous soup

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