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Prep time
8 hours
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Cook time
1 hour 30 minutes
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Serves
6 to 8
Author Notes
Cookbook author and former Food52 editor Lindsay-Jean Hard came in to cook this hearty fall soup for us while visiting New York City for the release of Zingerman’s Bakehouse Celebrate Every Day: A Year’s Worth of Favorite Recipes for Festive Occasions, Big and Small, which she co-authored.
Lindsay-Jean, who is now part of the marketing staff of Zingerman’s, the Ann Arbor, Michigan institution known for its deli and their specialty baked goods that ship around the country, gathered and organized all the recipes for this cookbook from the Zingerman’s archives. True to the cookbook’s title, each recipe relates back to a moment to savor, like the first day of fall, or a holiday—some familiar, some unexpected. This recipe, the national soup of Morocco, commemorates World Kindness Day, which falls on November 13.
Beans and legumes are traditional in this soup, and often lamb and grains like rice or vermicelli noodles, too. The Zingerman’s Bakehouse version is vegan and gluten-free, loaded with lentils, chickpeas, and vegetables, and spiced with cumin and harissa for a substantial soup that packs a little heat. (You can add more harissa if you like, or set out a bowl of it so that everyone can tailor the heat level themselves, as the book recommends.)
—Food52
Test Kitchen Notes
The recipe calls for soaking chickpeas overnight (hence the long prep time), and uses a homemade vegetable stock. You could take some shortcuts by subbing in canned chickpeas and a store-bought broth.
Recipe adapted slightly from Zingerman’s Bakehouse Celebrate Every Day: A Year's Worth of Favorite Recipes for Festive Occasions, Big and Small by Amy Emberling, Lindsay-Jean Hard, Lee Vedder, and Corynn Coscia © 2023. Published by Chronicle Books. Photographs © E.E. Berger. —Food52
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Ingredients
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3 tablespoons
olive oil
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4 cups
(560 grams) carrots, diced
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2 cups
(280 grams) yellow onion, diced
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1 cup
(120 grams) celery, diced
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Fine sea salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
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10 cups
(2.3 liters) vegetable stock
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14.5 ounces
(415 grams) can crushed tomatoes
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1 tablespoon
harissa paste
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1 teaspoon
ground cumin
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1/2 teaspoon
ground turmeric
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1 bunch
(75 grams) fresh parsley, finely chopped
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1 bunch
(75 grams) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
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1 cup
(180 grams) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
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1 cup
(200 grams) green lentils
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1/4 cup
(60 grams) lemon juice
Directions
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In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering, then add the carrots, onion, celery, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables until just slightly tender, about 10 minutes.
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Add the stock, crushed tomatoes, harissa, cumin, turmeric, and 3/4 of the chopped herbs, reserving 1/4 for garnish. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
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Drain the soaked chickpeas, then add them to the pot and simmer, uncovered, until almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add the lentils and simmer, uncovered, until tender, another 15 to 20 minutes. By this point, the liquid in the stockpot will have reduced a fair amount—that’s to be expected. Add the lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes.
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Taste the lentils and chickpeas; they should be tender but not mushy. If they are not yet tender, continue to simmer. If much of the water has been absorbed, you may want to add a little, 1∕2 to 1 cup (115 to 230 ml) to aid in further cooking. Continue to simmer until the chickpeas and lentils are the right texture and the soup has a thick consistency. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed.
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Serve the soup garnished with the reserved chopped parsley and cilantro. Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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