Harira

Directions

Soak overnight ⅓ cup flour in 1 cup water; ½ cup chick peas in water to cover.

Brown in lightly oil deep pan lamb, onions, saffron and paprika (increase or decrease according to taste).

Add 6 cups of water, soup bones, butter, salt, pepper, pre-soaked chick peas with skins popped off and discafrded, and the dried broad beans which have been washed and cleaned.

Simmer, covered, for 2 hours or more.

20 minutes before serving, put through a food mill into the soup pan (or blend with one cup of water) the tomatoes, parsley, corinader and the flour and water paste.

Add 3 cups of water, and when it returns to boil, add the vermicelli.

When the vermicelli is cooked, add 1 tablespoon butter and lemon juice (or serve a wedge of lemon with each bowl to be squeezed on the soup at the tatle).

The soup should be velvety; so add water or flour thickening if it is not.

*Note: Lentils may be substituted for chick peas; meat can be chicken; yearst may be used in place of flour and water if that mixture was not made night before; rice may be substituted for vermicelli.