1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery and leaves, chopped

3/4 cup THREE QUARTERS (150g) greenish brown lentils

1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve

1/2 HALF tsp ground ginger

1 generous pinch of ground saffron threads or ntsa HALFntesfr1/2 tsp turmeric

600-700g tomatoes, skinned and seeded

sugar, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp butter or extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

1 cup shelled baby broad beans (optional)

100g broken pieces of vermicelli, rice-shaped pasta or rice

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

1 bunch coriander

2 lemons

fresh medjool dates to serve

Cook the chickpeas and onion in the water (no salt) in a large saucepan for about an hour until the chickpeas are tender. Add two bay leaves and a peeled carrot to the water for extra flavour if you like. Remove them later. Pick over the lentils and rinse. Add the lentils to the saucepan with the celery, a few sprigs of chopped parsley and the spices. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Puree the tomatoes and add to the soup with sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 20 minutes. Add the butter or olive oil (if using) and the broad beans and cook for another 10 minutes. If serving the soup later, turn off the heat and set aside. Reheat the soup before serving. Add the pasta or rice and cook for 15 minutes. Add more water or vegetable stock if needed. Chop the parsley and coriander and add to the soup, along with the juice of one lemon. Taste and correct the seasoning. It needs to be well seasoned. Serve the harira in small bowls and dust with cinnamon. Pass the lemon wedges and dates for people to help themselves. Moroccans would drink the harira from the bowls.

Variations

- Soak half a cup of haricot or black-eyed beans overnight and cook with the chickpeas.

- Instead of adding pasta or rice to harira, thicken it with two tablespoons of fine semolina mixed with half a cup of water. Stir into the soup and cook for a few minutes.

- Add half a cup of pre-cooked couscous at the same time as the herbs and lemon juice. Cover the pot and stand for five minutes before serving.

- Lightly whisk two eggs into 1/2 HALFnte a cup of broth taken from the soup. Stir into the harira just before serving.

Moroccan orange salad

The refreshing orange salad can be served at any time during a Moroccan meal. I like to make it with navel oranges when in season.

This salad can be served with fresh dates and walnuts. If serving as dessert sprinkle with a little icing sugar.

Serves 4

4-5 oranges

1 tbsp orange-flower water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Using a serrated knife, remove the peel and pithntsa off the orangesnte. Do this over a plate to collect the juice. Slice the oranges and arrange them on a plate with the juice. Spoon the orange-flower water over the slices. Sprinkle cinnamon through a small sieve over the orange salad.