Today we’re bringing you one of our all time favourite recipes! This is our version of the Moroccan dish Harira, a soup or stew usually served at special occasions. The great thing about this stew is that it’s easy to make, extremely delicious and you feel virtuous eating it, as it’s packed full of vegetables and herbs. There are many versions of this recipe, and so many options for which ingredients you could include. We’ve used lamb shanks as they are easy to source and add a nice depth of flavour to the stew, but you could use any kind of meat which benefits from a few hours of slow cooking. Similarly, we used freekeh as our grain because that’s what we had in the cupboard, but buckwheat, lentils or chickpeas would all work just as well. We’ve used winter vegetables which are in season, but use whatever you have available or the vegetables you like most.

We love making this in the morning and leaving the pot to simmer away all day, giving the flavour time to develop and filling our home with the fragrant aroma. The dish tastes even better the next day, so make more than you need and you’ll be rewarded with delicious leftovers for the rest of the week.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup freekeh
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 4 lamb shanks
• salt and pepper
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 2 litres stock or water
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• ½ butternut pumpkin, diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 bunch of kale
• 1 handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 handful of parsley leave, chopped
• 1 handful of mint leaves, chopped

1. Soak the freekeh or buckwheat overnight, or cook according to the directions on the packet.
2. Place a large pot over medium high heat and melt the coconut oil. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper then brown them on all sides. Remove the shanks and set aside.
3. Add the onion and celery to the pot and fry for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent.
4. Add the garlic and spices, and continue to cook for a minute or two, until fragrant.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and stock, give it a good stir, and then return the shanks to the pot.
6. Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently for at least two hours, or until the lamb is falling from the bone.
7. Once the lamb is cooked, remove from the soup. When the shanks are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and roughly shred. Return the meat to the soup and discard the bones.
8. Add the freekeh and sweet potato to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the pumpkin and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Finally, add the zucchini and kale and simmer for 10 more minutes.
9. Adjust the seasoning and add the coriander, parsley and mint.
10. Serve in a warm bowl with a slice of lemon, and some fresh crusty bread, if you like.