## Lamb Harira

#### Recipe Summary
#### Prep: 30 mins
#### Cook: 30 mins
#### Total: 1 hr 10 mins
#### Servings: 10

### INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomato
- 4 c chicken stock
- 4 c water
- 1 c lentils
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 5 c garlic minced
- 1 large onion
- 1 yellow pepper
- 4 ribs celery
- 2 large carrots
- 2 lemons
- 1.5 T corriander
- 1.5 T grated ginger
- 1 T smoked paprika
- 1 T cumin
- 1 T red pepper flake
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 3 large bay leaves
- olive oil
- salt and pepper

### PREPARATION

Seperate out the cilantro leaves from the stems and chop the stems fine.

Use a heavy dutch oven on medium high heat and heat up some olive oil.  Add carrots, onion, celery and pepper with some salt and pepper.  Cook until the vegetables start to brown on the edges and set aside.

Add a little more oil and brown the lamb after seasoning with salt and pepper.  When the lamb is about 3/4 done add in the corriander, ginger, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, cilantro stems and garlic.  Let the spices bloom in the lamb fat and return the vegetables back into the pot.

Add the liquid, canned tomoatoes and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile wash the chickpeas and lentils making sure to pick out any foreign objects from either.

Add the legumes and cook through until tender.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Zest the lemons and cut in half.

Ladle out the soup into the bowls, top with cilantro leaves, lemon zest and a generous squeeze of lemon juice.  Serve with crusty bread.