Peel the tomatoes. Tomatoes are traditionally lightly boiled and then peeled. Puree the tomatoes with your food processor.
In a deep pot, add olive oil, ghee, and onion. Sauté onion for just 1 minute and make sure not to brown it. Add the meat if using and cook for two minutes.
Add the pureed tomatoes, spices, and all the fresh herbs. Mix everything together.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas then add to the pot, cover with hot water. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add lentils, check for water level and add more if needed.
Cover the pot and cook for 10-15 more minutes.
Dilute tomato paste with some water to dissolve it a bit.
Pour in tomato paste and vermicelli, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes. Make sure to check the water level on every step.
Make the thickener (tedouira) by mixing flour with a little water then pour the mixture in. Mix everything well together and check the consistency of the soup. You can thicken it more using more flour if you would like to.
Enjoy with lemon wedges on the side.