Moroccan Harira Soup
A thick Moroccan tomato soup with lentils, chickpeas, warm spices and a tangle of vermicelli, finished with lemon and fresh herbs. Suitable for a heavy pot on the stove; no special equipment needed.
Equipment
- 5–6 litre (5–6 qt) heavy pot or Dutch oven immersion blender optional
Ingredients
Base
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, or 1 tbsp (15 g) smen / butter + 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- 1 large onion (225 g / 8 oz), finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks (100 g / 3½ oz), finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes (300 g / 10 oz), grated or finely chopped, or 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- about 15 saffron threads, crumbled into 2 tbsp (30 ml) warm water (optional)
Pulses and liquid
- 100 g (½ cup) brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 240 g / 1½ cups cooked), or 240 g cooked from dried
- 1.5 L (6¼ cups) water or low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 small bunch cilantro (20 g / ¾ oz), stems finely chopped, leaves reserved
- 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley (20 g / ¾ oz), stems finely chopped, leaves reserved
Thickener and finish
- 40 g (⅓ cup) fine vermicelli or broken thin spaghetti
- 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour mixed with 60 ml (¼ cup) cold water (tedouira)
- Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tbsp / 45 ml), plus wedges to serve
- Dates or crusty bread, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and celery with a pinch of salt for 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent, not browned.
- Stir in the grated tomato and tomato paste. Cook 5–7 minutes until the mixture darkens and looks jammy and most of the watery liquid has cooked off.
- Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, salt and the saffron with its water. Cook 1 minute until the spices smell warm.
- Add the lentils, chickpeas, chopped herb stems and the water or stock. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cover partly and cook 40–45 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the broth tastes rounded.
- Taste and adjust salt. For a thicker, more traditional body, blend about 2 cups (480 ml) of the soup (or mash some chickpeas against the side of the pot) and return it to the pot.
- Add the vermicelli and simmer uncovered 5–7 minutes until the pasta is just tender.
- Whisk the flour-water slurry again, then stir it into the pot in a thin stream. Simmer 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until the soup coats a spoon. If it gets too thick, loosen with a splash of hot water.
- Off the heat, stir in most of the chopped herb leaves and the lemon juice. Taste again for salt, lemon and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls, top with the remaining herbs, and serve with lemon wedges and dates or bread.
Notes
- Vegetarian: use water or vegetable stock and olive oil (skip smen if you want it fully plant-based).
- No vermicelli: leave it out, or stir in a handful of cooked rice at the end.
- Make-ahead: the soup thickens in the fridge. Reheat gently and thin with water; add fresh lemon and herbs just before serving. Fridge up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months (best without vermicelli, add pasta when reheating).
- Tedouira tip: always mix flour with cold water until smooth before adding, or the soup can clump.