chermoula

last year’s love of thick hearty soups - ribollita, minestrone and white chilli have all been cooked in rotation, at least one a week, for several months now – continues unabated. however, i need some help – can you suggest something new for me to try? i’m particularly keen to find a harira recipe that i like.

the one pictured above is a vegetarian version from allegra mcevedy but it just doesn’t do it for me – the flavours weren’t bright enough and although a squeeze of lemon juice helped, it wasn’t as delicious as i’d hoped. maybe i need to do the lamb version first, and then play with vegetarian flavours? or maybe the combination of chickpeas, lentils and rice is just a bit too “worthy”?

however, there was one thing that did stand out - the chermoula that is served with the harira to lighten and brighten it. that i will retain, whichever harira recipe i end up with.

chermoula

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

a handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

a handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ a teaspoon of paprika (the unsmoked variety)

mix the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper