Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Aromatics & Spices
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic, minced
- 15 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 10 g ras el hanout
- 5 g ground cumin
- 3 g ground turmeric
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ⅛ g saffron threads
Soup Base
- 400 g crushed tomatoes, canned
- 1000 ml vegetable broth
- 150 g dry brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 250 g canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Fish & Garnish
- 600 g cod fillets, cut into 4 equal portions
- fine sea salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
- 15 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 511 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbohydrates
- 59 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 1736 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 65 mg
- Potassium
- 1542 mg
- Calcium
- 178 mg
- Iron
- 7.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 121 mg
- Phosphorus
- 537 mg
- Zinc
- 3.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 90 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 33 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 21 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.57 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.25 mg
- Niacin
- 4.7 mg
- Folate
- 233 mcg
- Water
- 477 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare the aromatics by finely chopping the yellow onion, and peeling and mincing the garlic and ginger. Rinse the lentils under cold water.
Heat half of the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the ras el hanout, cumin, turmeric, and the cinnamon stick to the pot. Stir constantly to toast the spices until they become highly aromatic and slightly darkened.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Add the rinsed dry lentils. Gently crush the saffron threads between your fingers and drop them into the liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it bubble gently.
Stir in the drained chickpeas. Continue cooking with the lid slightly ajar until the lentils are completely tender and the soup has thickened beautifully. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
While the soup is in its final minutes of simmering, thoroughly pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and black pepper. Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear the cod undisturbed on the first side until a golden crust forms, then carefully flip. Cook until the fish is entirely opaque and the thickest part reaches 63°C/145°F.
Remove the cinnamon stick from the soup. Ladle the hearty lentil and chickpea base into warm, shallow bowls.
Carefully place one seared cod fillet in the center of each bowl. Scatter roughly chopped fresh coriander over the top and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges for guests to squeeze over their fish and soup.
Chef's Notes
- To maximize the flavor of your saffron, gently toast the threads in a dry pan for 10 seconds before crushing, or steep them in two tablespoons of warm broth before adding to the pot.
- The soup base actually improves in flavor if made a day ahead. You can prepare the lentil and chickpea stew in advance, refrigerate it, and then simply reheat it and sear the fresh fish when you are ready to serve.
- When purchasing ras el hanout, look for blends that contain rose petals, lavender, and grains of paradise for a truly authentic, complex Moroccan flavor profile.
- Cross-contamination caution: Keep all utensils and cutting boards used for the raw fish completely separate from the fresh herbs and lemon garnishes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the fish separately from the soup if possible to maintain texture.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze the soup base only. The cod will become tough and rubbery if frozen and reheated.
Reheating: Warm the soup gently over medium-low heat. Reheat the cod separately in a low oven or flake it into the hot soup just before serving to avoid overcooking.
Troubleshooting
Lentils remain tough and crunchy after the stated cooking time
Cause: The acidity of the tomatoes combined with old lentils can drastically increase cooking time
Fix: Add 120ml to 250ml of hot water or broth and continue simmering until tender, testing every 10 minutes
Prevention: Check the expiration date on dried lentils and avoid using highly acidic canned tomatoes without sufficient broth
Fish falls apart in the pan
Cause: The pan was not hot enough, the fish was wet when added, or it was moved before the crust released
Fix: Gently fold the broken pieces directly into the finished soup bowls; it will still taste excellent
Prevention: Pat fish completely dry, heat oil until shimmering, and let the fish sear undisturbed
Soup lacks depth and tastes flat
Cause: Insufficient salt to balance the earthy legumes and spices
Fix: Stir in fine sea salt a pinch at a time, and add an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors
Prevention: Season incrementally throughout the cooking process
Cultural Context
This dish draws deep inspiration from Harira, Morocco's famous legume and tomato soup traditionally used to break the fast during Ramadan. By incorporating fresh cod, it nods to the vibrant culinary traditions of Moroccan coastal cities like Essaouira and Agadir, where abundant Atlantic seafood is frequently paired with the warming, earthy spices of the inland markets.
