Moroccan Beef or Lamb Soup with Chickpeas and Lentils

This aromatic Moroccan dish, called harira, traditionally is served during Ramadan to break the daily fast. It's sometimes vegetarian, other times meaty, and depending on the the cook its consistency may be thick and hearty or light and brothy. Our recipe calls for lamb, but you could substitute an equal amount of boneless beef chuck. Note that the chickpeas require soaking to cook at the same rate as the meat. For convenience, however, you can skip the dried chickpeas and simply stir 1 cup of drained canned chickpeas into the stew at the end. Serve with lemon wedges and a drizzle of grassy extra-virgin olive oil, and offer crusty bread for soaking up the broth.