Harira for a Crowd
Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, takes place this year from the evening of October 8 to the evening of October 9. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, a holiday set aside for prayer and introspection. The laws governing the holiday require Jews to refrain from any kind of work and to afflict their bodies by abstaining from food, water, bathing and sex. The idea is one common to all religions: that by suppressing our physical needs, we will refocus on our spirit.
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, finely diced about 4 cups
- 2 cups diced celery and celery leaves
- ½ cup olive oil plus more for garnish
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp dried ginger
- 3 tsp black pepper
- 4 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp toasted and ground cumin
- 1-2 tsp dried red chile flakes
- 2 (3-inch) piece cinnamon stick, ground, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 cups diced ripe tomato fresh or canned
- 2 t tomato paste
- Salt
- 4 cup red lentils rinsed
- 2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- Either 1/2 pound angel hair pasta or vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces or 6 T uncooked white riceServing Garnishes:
Serving Garnishes
- Lemon wedges
- EVOO olive oil
- chopped parsley
- chopped cilantro
- chopped fresh dill
- harissa
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Saute onion and celery until softened, about 20 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, pepper, turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Cook until the spices smell fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add tomato and tomato paste and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring until mixture thickens somewhat, then add 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, lentils and garbanzos. Add 16 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and lower to a simmer.
- After one hour, taste for salt, pepper and other spices. Add rice. Cook for another hour, adding more water to keep the consistency like cream. The beans should be very soft.
- Serve, and encourage your guests to garnish the soup with lemon, herbs, harissa and olive oil.Tagged harira, harira recipe, moroccan food, nashuva, sephardic food, yom kippur
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