Traditional Moroccan Harira Soup

A traditional-style Moroccan harira made with chickpeas, lentils, tomatoes, fresh herbsand a silky flour thickener.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 15

Servings: 6

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Morocon and North african

Calories: 320

Base

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped (leaves included)

1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes or 4 large fresh tomatoes, grated

2 tbsp tomato paste

8 cups of water or beef stock, divided

Legumes

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked 8-12 hours (or 2 [15 oz] cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed)

¾ cup brown or green lentils, rinsed

Protein

1 lb beef stew meat (chuck or shin), cut into small cubes - omit for a vegetarian version

Spices

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste

Herbs

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, divided

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped, divided

Finishing Starch

½ cup fine vermicelli, broken into short pieces (or ⅓ cup rice)

Tedouira (Traditional Thickener)

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

1½ cups cold water

To Serve

Lemon wedges

Prepare the chickpeas. If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight and drain. If using canned, drain and rinse; add later than dried, per step 4.
Cook the aromatic base. Heat olive oil in a large pot and cook onion and celery until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, turmeric, black pepper and cinnamon; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Add tomato and liquid. Stir in the crushed tomato, tomato paste, half the cilantro and half the parsley. Cook for 5-7 minutes to develop the base, then add 7 cups of water or stock.
Add chickpeas and beef. Add soaked dried chickpeas and the beef (add canned chickpeas later, in step 5, if using). Bring to a simmer, cover partially and cook 45-55 minutes, until the beef and chickpeas are tender.
Add lentils. Stir in the lentils (and canned chickpeas, if using) and simmer another 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are tender but not falling apart.
Add the vermicelli or rice. Stir in the vermicelli (or rice) and simmer 8-10 minutes until just tender. It will continue absorbing liquid as the soup rests.
Make the tedouira. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour into the cold water until completely smooth. Strain through a fine sieve if any lumps remain.
Thicken the soup. With the soup at a gentle simmer, slowly stream in the tedouira while stirring constantly. Simmer 5-8 minutes more until glossy and lightly thickened.
Finish and serve. Stir in the remaining cilantro and parsley. Taste and adjust salt. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Traditional-style note: Harira has many Moroccan household versions. This recipe follows a traditional-style tomato, chickpea, lentil, herb, spice and flour-thickened approach.
Chickpea note: Dried chickpeas give a more traditional texture but need overnight soaking. Canned chickpeas are the practical US shortcut.
Thickener note: Whisk the tedouira until fully smooth and add it slowly while stirring to avoid lumps.
Texture note: Finished Harira should be silky and lightly thickened, not stew-like. Rice or pasta will keep absorbing liquid as it sits.
Leftover note: Expect the soup to thicken in the refrigerator; loosen with hot water or broth when reheating.
1. hot with lemon wedges.
Nutrition (estimated per serving, 6 servings)
- Calories: ~320
- Protein: ~22g
- Carbohydrates: ~40g
- Fiber: ~9g
- Fat: ~8g
- Saturated Fat: ~2g
- Sodium: ~680mg
Nutrition is an estimate based on this ingredient list and will vary with substitutions, portion size, and whether meat is included.