Moroccan tomato and lentil soup (Harira)

1. Cut the lamb into small cubes and finely chop the onion and celery sticks; grate the tomatoes and chop the herbs.

2. In a large pan, fry the meat with the onion, celery, ground ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and half the herbs in the butter and olive oil for 5 minutes.

3. Add the grated tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils and drained chickpeas, pour in the water, season with salt and pepper and simmer covered for 60 minutes.

4. Add the vermicelli and the remaining herbs and cook for 5 minutes.

5. Whisk the flour with the 300 ml water until smooth and pour it into the soup in a thin stream, stirring constantly; cook for another 10 minutes until silky and thick.

6. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Tip: Harira is the essential soup for breaking the fast (iftar) during Ramadan in Morocco, served with dates and sweet chebakia. The flour thickening (tedouira) gives it its characteristic velvety texture. It's delicious without meat too, so you can also make it vegetarian.