Harira from Morocco

This hearty soup will make you believe that you are in Morocco.  It's full of flavour and very warming on a cold evening.  I made this in a slow cooker but it is possible to cook this in a pot on the stove-top.  However if you are wanting the lamb to fall apart and melt in your mouth, then a slow cooker is the way to go.
There are many variations of making Harira.  In North Africa this soup is commonly eaten to break the fast after Ramadan.

1 can chickpeas
1/4 cup brown lentils
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 kg lamb pieces (some bones will be good)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 chicken stock cube
4 cups water
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 stick celery finely chopped
1 handful fresh coriander finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
fresh mint leaves for garnishing
Put the olive oil in a pot and saute the onion until soft.  Add the lamb pieces and allow them to lightly brown. In a cup add the tablespoon of boiling water to the saffron threads.  Stir this mixture into the lamb mixture.   Add in the rest of the ingredients except the chickpeas and lentils and reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 2 hours.  Add in the chickpeas and lentils.  You might need to add a little more water.  Simmer for another hour until the lamb is falling apart.  Serve with a flat bread and garnish with the mint leaves.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com