Golden Lentil Stew (Martha Stewart)

Here is a recipe of a lentli stew from Martha Stewart. Do not be scared by the long list of ingredients, the soup os very easy to make. It is a very unusual combination of salty, sweet, and flavourful. The smell made me almost think of homemade apple-spice pie.

The recipe is slightly modified from its original.

Image from Martha Stewart

This slightly sweet Moroccan chickpea and lentil stew, known as harira, is brightened by spices and lemon.

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed
8 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock
4 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped
3 tsp coarse salt
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup yellow lentils, rinsed
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp ground cloves
5 oz orzo or vermicelli (or any other small pasta), broken into pieces
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, stock, and water, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Mash garlic, finely chopped cilantro, and salt into a paste. Add garlic paste, celery, tomatoes, lentils, tomato paste, lemon juice, and spices to pot. Simmer until lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Add pasta and dates, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in coarsely chopped cilantro and parsley. Garnish with parsley leaves, and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 6-8.