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1
Blanch the bones in boiling water for a few minutes and throw out the water.
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2
Put the meat and bones in a large pan with the onions and the chickpeas or beans.
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3
Cover with about 12 cups water and bring to the boil.
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4
Remove the scum and simmer, covered, for 1 1/22 hours.
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5
Add the drained lentils and tomatoes, the celery and tomato paste, pepper, ginger, and saffron and simmer a further 15 minutes, adding water if necessary.
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6
Add salt when the lentils begin to soften.
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7
This part of the cooking can be done hours in advance.
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8
In a small pan, beat 2 cups of cold water gradually and vigorously into the flour so as not to have any lumps.
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9
Add a ladle of broth from the soup and stir over low heat until the mixture begins to boil.
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10
Simmer for 10 minutes until it thickens.
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11
If you are adding rice or vermicelli to the soup, it is best not to put it in long before serving, as it gets bloated and mushy.
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12
Stir in the rice and cook 15 minutes, or the crushed vermicelli and cook 5 minutes.
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13
Pour the flour-and-broth batter into the soup, stirring vigorously.
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14
Add the chopped cilantro and parsley and cook a few minutes more, until the soup acquires a light, creamy texture.
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15
Serve with lemon wedges.
