Delicious Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Chicken and Lentils

I found this recipe last night searching for lentil recipes and I think it changed my life. The proper name is Harira and it is traditionally served each night of Ramadan to break the fast. The recipe comes courtesy from Emeril Lagasse. It is very filling. 1 cup has 182 calories, 14 carbs, 14 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat (1.8 saturated, 2.8 mono-unsaturated), which could be lowered by substituting breast meat for thigh meat. I also cut all the fat I could see off of the thighs that I could see before cooking, so the fat total is probably a little high.

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
1/4 pound dried chickpeas (I used canned)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery
2 teaspoons ground ginger (I used fresh, very finely minced)
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices
1 1/2 quarts rich chicken stock (I used homemade, see note at bottom**)
1/4 pound dried green lentils
1/2 cup long-grain rice (I used organic brown rice, see notes at bottom*)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Cilantro sprigs, for garnishing
Directions
Pick over the chickpeas, cover with cold water, and soak overnight at room temperature. Drain chickpeas and rinse well with cold running water. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken in batches, and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the onions and celery and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes and their juices, stirring well. Stir in the chicken stock, lentils, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour.

Add the rice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and return the soup to a simmer. Cook covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes.

Ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.

Notes:
I used canned chickpeas, drained them and rinsed heavily to cut out some of the sodium and to save time.

*I also used long grain brown rice, which has to cook longer than 30 minutes, so I started the rice in its own pot and cooked it for 25-30 minutes, then added it to the stew when the recipe called for it.

**My stock:
Ingredients:
2 whole chicken carcases with most of the meat removed and whatever random bones that I have accumulated and stored in my freezer.
5 Whole Carrots, chopped in half
5 Celery Stalks, chopped in half
2 Whole White Onions, quartered
3 Cloves of Garlic
2 Bay Leafs
10 peppercorns
1 to 2 Tbs of Dried Thyme Leaves
10 sprigs of fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients in pot, cover with water, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook till liquid is reduced by half. (approx 4 hrs.)
2. Strain into separate bowl, let cool
3. place bowl in fridge overnight or for several hours
4. Remove fat from the top of stock and put into storage containers.