1 chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 lbs., quartered

10 cups water or more (we use 11 cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter

1 medium carrot, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed well (we use green or brown lentils)

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

Large pinch each; ground turmeric, ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon harissa, or 1/2 teaspoon each crushed red pepper flakes and cumin

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup vermicelli noodles, broken in 1 1/2 inch lengths

Chopped cilantro, lime wedges for garnish (we think the lime is essential!)

 

Put chicken and giblets (except liver) in a 4 - 5 quart pot; add water to cover. Heat to a boil, reduce to a simmer and skim off any foam that rises to surface. When foam subsides, cover partly and simmer as you prepare vegetables. Heat oil in small skillet and cook carrot, celery and onion until they soften and turn light brown, about 7 minutes. Add to soup along with garlic, lentils, tomatoes and all the spices. Cover partly and simmer gently until chicken is falling from the bones and lentils are soft, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Stir frequently and add more water as necessary. Remove chicken and reserve dark meat for another use. Trim breast meat from skin and bones, dice or shred meat; return it to soup. Add vermicelli about 15 minutes before the soup is served. Adjust seasonings. Add cilantro and lime wedges. (we like the taste of the lime juice in the soup so much that we squeeze the wedges in. We call this soup “sopa de lima” - “lime soup” because it reminds us of the soup of the same name served in the Yucatan Peninsula.)