Wild Celery & Common Mallow Harira

This Wild Celery soup is an alternative to the traditional one served after sunset during Ramadan in Morocco when food is allowed to be eaten and the daily fast has ended. I think it makes a welcome addition to a bleak rain-swept cold winter?s day offering warmth and comfort. The Mallow adds texture and thickens the soup due to its mucilaginous qualities.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
100g wild celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cloves, crushed
Few grates fresh nutmeg
Small thumb ginger, coarsely grated
400g can chopped tomatoes
110g puy lentils
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 litre water
60g common mallow leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges

Suggested Instructions

Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the oil and onion and cook for 5 minutes without colouring. Add the wild celery and fry for a further couple of minutes. Stir in all the spices and coat in the oil.
Add the tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas, stir and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add the water and simmer for about 30 minutes, when the lentils should be soft. You may need to add extra water as it is absorbed by the lentils
When the lentils are cooked add the mallow with some seasoning and simmer for a further couple of minutes to wilt the leaves.
Pour into bowls and serve immediately with the lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

Serves 3-4