Ingredients
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ cup minced fresh cilantro
½ cup minced fresh parsley
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
½ cup orzo
4 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges
Directions
1
For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth and water. We like to garnish this soup with a small amount of harissa, a North African chile paste, which you can find in some supermarkets or make using our recipe.
2
Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and starting to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup cilantro and ¼ cup parsley and cook for 1 minute.
3
Stir in broth, water, chickpeas, and lentils; increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and gently simmer until lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes.
4
Stir in tomatoes and pasta and simmer, partially covered, for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chard and continue to cook, partially covered, until pasta is tender, about 5 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in lemon juice, remaining ¼ cup cilantro, and remaining ¼ cup parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.