Harira – Moroccan soup

Soak the chickpeas overnight. The next day, drain and peel them.

Cook the tomatoes briefly in boiling water, cool them off and remove the skin. Cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces and remove the seeds.

Grate the onion or process it to a thick pulp in a food processor.

Remove and discard large pieces of the stem from the parsley. Wash the parsley and leaves to drain thoroughly before chopping finely.

Heat a large saucepan with oil and cook the grated onion and spices until the onions start to soften and the spices develop aroma. Then add the chickpeas, the tomatoes and 500 ml of water and the tomatoe paste. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes over medium heat.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Thicken the soup to a silky, cream-like consistency by gradually adding the flour, mixed in a little water, stirring constantly to ensure that it's well blended. Use only as much as is needed to make the soup as thick as you like. Finally, add the finely chopped parsley.

Simmer the soup for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.