Lamb Harira Soup with Herbs with homemade tomato paste

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade tomato paste ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Wash the tomatoes, remove the cores and quarter each tomato.

   KnifeCutting board
2. 2
   Put the tomatoes, the salt and half of the olive oil in a wide pot, cover and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and release their liquid.

   StoveWide, shallow pot
3. 3
   Pass the tomatoes and their liquid through a food mill or sieve and return the purée to the pot: the skins and seeds stay behind.

   Food millorFine sieve
4. 4
   Cook uncovered about an hour at a lively simmer, stirring now and then, until the purée reduces by half.

   StoveWooden spoon

   💡The paste burns easily as it dries: stir and scrape the bottom and edges, and once it is thick, don't walk away.
5. 5
   Preheat the oven to 110°C (230°F).

   Oven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
6. 6
   Grease a wide baking dish with the rest of the olive oil and pour in the purée in a thin layer. Dry in the oven about 3 hours, stirring and scraping the edges every 30 minutes, until the paste is thick, sticky and brick red.

   OvenBaking sheetSilicone spatula
7. 7
   Let the paste cool.

   Jar

For the Fried onion

1. 8
   In advanceSoak the chickpeas overnight in cold water and drain.

   Bowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 9
   Cut the meat into small cubes.

   KnifeCutting board
3. 10
   Tie the leftover bones in cheesecloth with kitchen string.

   CheeseclothKitchen twine
4. 11
   Put the meat, chickpeas, bay leaves, peppercorns and water and the bag of bones in a large pot, bring to a gentle boil and skim off the foam.

   StoveLarge pot
5. 12
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 60 minutes.

   StoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
6. 13
   Strain and reserve the cooking liquid, and remove the bag of bones.

   Colander
7. 14
   Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium heat.

   StoveWide, shallow pot
8. 15
   Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.

To assemble

1. 16
   Add the leek and fry, until it is translucent.

   Stove
2. 17
   Add the celery, celeriac, carrot and potato and fry 5 minutes, stirring.

   Stove
3. 18
   Add the lentils, garlic and tomatoes and fry another 5 minutes, stirring.

   Stove
4. 19
   Add the tomato paste, paprika, hot paprika, turmeric, coriander seeds, parsley, cilantro, salt and black pepper, followed by the meat, the chickpeas and the cooking liquid. If needed, top up with water to about 8¼ cups of liquid.

   Stove
5. 20
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes.

   StoveLid
6. 21
   Squeeze the lemon into the pot and add the noodles. Cover, turn off the heat and leave 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
7. 22
   Serve hot, with a lemon wedge and cilantro leaves for each serving.