Moroccan Harira Soup And Garlic Baguette

Our family is taking part in Live Below The Line

where we live on £1 a day per person, to help highlight the fight against global hunger.

This was our fourth dinner. Moroccan harira soup (vegetarian version) with chickpeas and homemade garlic baguette. A Ramadan favourite - delicious, warming and nutritious.

The total cost of the soup 25p per bowl and 9p for half a baguette of bread.

serves 6

Moroccan Style Harira 

ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion (chopped)

small piece of fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp whole or ground cumin (jeera)

1l water

1 vegetable stock cube 

1 carrot

1 stalk of celery

tin of cooked chickpeas

handful of red split lentils (30g)

handful of rice (30g)

1 tin of tinned tomatoes 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 nest of fine noodles (50g)

few sprigs of coriander

  salt to taste

method

Gently fry the chopped onion in olive oil

 for few minutes on a low heat

Add the grated ginger and garlic, cumin, turmeric and curry powder 

Cook for few more minutes then pour in 1 litre of water

Add the stock cube, the cubed carrot and celery

Add the rinsed tinned chickpeas, rice and lentils

Simmer on a lowered heat for about 15 minutes until the rice and lentils are cooked

Add more water as it cooks to get right soupy consistency 

Blend tinned tomatoes in a food processor or blender

Pour the tomatoes into the soup 

Sprinkle in the cinnamon

Break-up the noodles and add to the soup

Cook until the noodles are done (about 4 mins)

Add chopped coriander

Season to taste

***

 Garlic Baguettes

ingredients

600ml lukewarm water

35g fresh yeast (or 2 sachets of fast action dry yeast)

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

2 cloves of crushed garlic

1 tsp olive oil

about 1 kg bread flour  

method

Mix together water, yeast, sugar and half of the flour

Leave aside until it starts bubbling (about 5 mins)

Add crushed garlic, salt and the rest of the flour

Knead until soft and pliable 

Leave to prove in warm place until doubled in size

(this takes about 45-60mins)

Turn the dough onto a floured surface

Knock back the air and knead for few minutes

Divide the dough in 4 pieces

Shape into baguettes

Leave to prove another 20 mins on baking trays lined with baking paper

(usually 2 fit in a tray)

Score the tops gently with a sharp knife

Brush with a little milk

Bake in the middle of the oven in 220° for 20 mins until golden brown

cost

Harira

oil 3p

onions 5p

ginger, garlic 7p

tinned tomatoes 31p

spices, salt and coriander 15p

carrot and celery 21p

chick peas 33p

lentils and rice 10p

noodles 20p

stock cube 10p

-----------------------------

155p / 26p per portion

Bread (for 8)

flour 67p

oil 3p

sugar, salt, garlic 3p

-----------------------------

73p / 9p per portion

[TIP: you can get free fresh yeast from some supermarket bakeries if you ask nicely]