Erica's harira soup recipe
Gently spiced Moroccan soup-stew warms the soul

This dish is a real winner, said Leon's director of food, Erica Molyneaux. My version of a warming, gently spiced Moroccan soup-stew, finished with a swirl of harissa, it’s perfect for a simple weeknight supper or for when you have friends over.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
- 600g boneless leg or boneless shoulder of lamb
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 heaped tsp ground coriander
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 700ml hot vegetable stock
- 1 × 400g can good-quality chopped tomatoes
- 1 × 400g can chickpeas, plus their liquid
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- plain live yoghurt
- 2 tbsp harissa
- warmed flatbreads
Method:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- Drizzle the olive oil into a large pan over a low-medium heat and sauté the chopped vegetables, ginger and parsley stalks for 10 minutes, until softened.
- Meanwhile, trim the lamb of excess fat and cut the meat into 2-3cm pieces.
- Season the softened vegetables with salt and pepper, then add the lamb. Turn up the heat to brown the lamb, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the ground spices, the bay leaves and tomato purée, stir well and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas and their liquid, stir well and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour.
- Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
- You can add a bit of water if it gets a little too thick.)
- Season to taste and portion into wide bowls. Serve with a dollop of the yoghurt, a swirl of harissa, a sprinkling of finely chopped parsley leaves and a warmed flatbread.
Taken from "Leon Big Flavours" by Rebecca Seal, published by Conran at £22. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £19.99, visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
Sign up for The Week's Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 million
Feature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classic
The Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period drama
The Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thriller
The Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?
Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
-
Fractured France: an ‘informative and funny’ enquiry
The Week Recommends Andrew Hussey's work is a blend of ‘memoir, travelogue and personal confession’