- Easy
- 30 min
- 2 serv.
- 6 synergies
- Now at its best: Onion
A lighter breakfast version of the classic Moroccan harira, with red lentils, chickpeas and fresh cilantro. Traditionally eaten when breaking the fast, but also perfect as a nutritious morning meal with ras el hanout and ginger.
The olive oil is warm, onion and celery sauté gently — that sweet, moist sound that promises a good start. Ginger and ras el hanout go in: immediately the kitchen fills with warmth, cinnamon, cumin, something sharp from the ginger. Tomato passata in, water after, everything to a boil. Red lentils fall apart in the hot liquid — they soften, give body to the soup, make it creamy without cream. After fifteen minutes the chickpeas go in: firm, nutty, with bite. Lemon juice just before serving — that freshness cuts through the rich warmth. Cilantro over, green and fragrant. This is the soup that has opened mornings in Morocco for centuries after a fasting day. Warm, filling, comforting. Each spoonful is different: the soft lentils, the firm chickpeas, the spices sitting deep in the background.
- 10
- min prep
- 20
- min cook
- 30
- min total
Nutritional Synergies
This recipe combines ingredients that enhance each other:
Ras el Hanout 
Olive Oil Fat increases absorption of fat-soluble spices in the mix
Technical: Ras el hanout contains up to 30 spices including turmeric (curcumin), ginger (gingerol), cinnamon (cinnamaldehyde) and nutmeg (myristicin) — all fat-soluble. Frying in olive oil extracts these bioactive compounds from the spices and dissolves them in fat, increasing bioavailability of all components.
What does this mean for you? Briefly fry ras el hanout in olive oil as the first step of your dish. The fat activates all fat-soluble spices in the mix — that's why every North African cook starts this way.
Anti-inflammatoryDigestionHeart
Celery 
Ginger Apigenin + gingerols: three complementary bioactive pathways
Technical: Celery contains apigenin (1.5mg/100g) and luteolin — flavonoids that modulate COX-2 and TNF-α. Ginger's 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol influence NF-κB and iNOS. Curcumin from turmeric interacts with more than 40 molecular targets. Together they work through three complementary biochemical pathways.
What does this mean for you? Celery-ginger-turmeric juice combines three ingredients each working through completely different mechanisms — a broader spectrum than each alone. Always add a pinch of black pepper to improve curcumin absorption.
Anti-inflammatoryJoints
Tomato Passata Olive Oil Heated + fats = 5x more lycopene absorption
Technical: Tomato passata is already heated, releasing lycopene from cell walls in cis-form (better absorbable than trans-lycopene in raw tomato). Olive oil fats create micelles transporting this released lycopene through the gut wall. Basil adds eugenol (COX-2 inhibitor). Absorption increases up to 5x.
What does this mean for you? Make pasta sauce with tomato passata, olive oil and basil. You absorb up to 5x more lycopene than from raw tomato — great for your heart and skin.
HeartSkin & Hair
Tomato Passata 
Onion Lycopene + quercetin for broad-spectrum antioxidant protection
Technical: Tomato passata contains bioavailable lycopene (12-15mg/100g) from the cooking process. Onion's quercetin (20mg/100g) is a flavonoid that works complementarily to lycopene: lycopene neutralizes singlet oxygen (lipid phase), quercetin scavenges hydroxyl radicals and superoxide (aqueous phase). Together they cover the complete antioxidant spectrum. Onion's sulfur compounds also support Phase II biotransformation enzymes that process lycopene metabolites.
What does this mean for you? Passata with sauteed onion is the base of Italian cuisine (sugo). It's a top antioxidant duo you can eat daily — simple, affordable and effective.
HeartSkin & HairAnti-inflammatory
Water Ginger Hydration + gingerols for digestion and metabolism
Technical: Water is the medium for all biochemical reactions and nutrient transport. Ginger's gingerols (1.5-3%) are water-soluble and optimally extracted in warm water. Gingerols are studied in research in relation to thermogenesis and digestion. Warm ginger water contains dissolved gingerols.
What does this mean for you? Start your day with warm ginger water — slice fresh ginger and steep for 10 minutes. It gives a warm, spicy start to your day and hydrates at the same time.
DigestionWeight LossEnergy
Sea Salt Olive Oil Minerals + polyphenols for cellular balance
Technical: Sea salt's sodium is essential for the sodium-potassium pump (Na+/K+-ATPase) that regulates every body cell. Olive oil's oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol provide antioxidant protection for cell membranes. The combination supports cell integrity: sea salt regulates ion balance, olive oil protects the membrane. In Mediterranean cuisine, coarse sea salt + olive oil is the most basic flavor profile.
What does this mean for you? Freshly ground sea salt with extra virgin olive oil is the simplest and most nutritious finishing of any dish. The combination provides the basic needs of your cells: minerals for function, polyphenols for protection.
HeartGeneral Wellness
Ingredients (12)
+9 more ingredients
Instructions
- 1 Sauté the onion and celery in olive oil over medium heat until translucent (3 minutes).
- 2 Add the grated ginger and ras el hanout, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Nutrition per serving
Indicative values per serving.
Timing & Suitability
Shelf life: 3 days in fridge
Tags & Diet
Allergens: Gluten