Harira bel Djaj

• A 3 1/2-pound chicken
• 2 cups chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 5 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• Pepper
• 1/23/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt
• 4 ounces vermicelli, crushed into bits with your hand
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 5 lemons, cut in wedges, to serve with

1. Put the chicken in a large pan with 3 quarts of water.
2. Bring to the boil and remove the scum.
3. Add the chickpeas, onion, tomatoes, and some pepper, and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, until the chickpeas are soft.
4. Add the ginger, cinnamon, and salt when the chickpeas begin to soften.
5. Lift out the chicken, remove the skin and bones, and cut up into small pieces.
6. Return to the pan and add more water if necessary.
7. Add the vermicelli, parsley, and cilantro and cook a few minutes until the vermicelli are tender.
8. Serve hot, accompanied by lemon wedges.
9. Here are two traditional ways of thickening the soup at the end if you wish:
10. Just before serving, beat 3 eggs with a ladle of the broth from the soup, then pour this into the soup, stirring vigorously for a few seconds without letting the soup boil (or the eggs will curdle).
11. Add 4 tablespoons flour mixed to a light cream with a few tablespoons cold water, and stir vigorously, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

chicken, chickpeas, onion, tomatoes, pepper, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, vermicelli, flatleaf, cilantro, lemons

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/harira-bel-djaj-373296 (may not work)