Moroccan Harira (Lamb, Lentil and Chickpea Soup)

Name: Moroccan Harira (Lamb, Lentil and Chickpea Soup)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 23 min
Total time: 1 h 48 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 8 oz (225 g) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of thick fat, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil; 1 large (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped or coarsely grated; 2 stalks (100 g) celery stalks, finely diced, leaves included; 1 tsp (2 g) ground ginger; 1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper; 1 pinch (0.1 g) saffron threads, crushed between your fingers (optional); 1½ lb (680 g) ripe tomatoes, quartered, then blended until smooth (about 3 cups purée); 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 1 cup, packed (1 bunch) (50 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems finely chopped; ½ cup, packed (25 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; ½ cup (100 g) brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained; 7 cups (1650 ml) water, plus extra to thin if needed; 1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 can (15 oz) (240 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups); 1½ oz (40 g) thin vermicelli noodles, broken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces; 3 tbsp (25 g) all-purpose flour; 1 cup (240 ml) cold water, cold; 2 lemons (200 g) lemons, 1 juiced (about 3 tbsp) and 1 cut into wedges for serving; 6 dates (60 g) Medjool dates, for serving on the side (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fragrant, tomato-rich Moroccan soup with tender lamb, lentils, chickpeas and loads of fresh cilantro and parsley, lightly thickened with a flour tempering and finished with lemon. Hearty enough for dinner and traditional for breaking the fast during Ramadan.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 23 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 53 min
Makes: About 2.5 liters (10 cups), 6 generous bowls

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the soup
8 oz (225 g) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of thick fat, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 large (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped or coarsely grated
2 stalks (100 g) celery stalks, finely diced, leaves included
1 tsp (2 g) ground ginger
1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch (0.1 g) saffron threads, crushed between your fingers (optional)
1½ lb (680 g) ripe tomatoes, quartered, then blended until smooth (about 3 cups purée)
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1 cup, packed (1 bunch) (50 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems finely chopped
½ cup, packed (25 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup (100 g) brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
7 cups (1650 ml) water, plus extra to thin if needed
1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 can (15 oz) (240 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups)
1½ oz (40 g) thin vermicelli noodles, broken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
For the tempering
3 tbsp (25 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (240 ml) cold water, cold
To finish
2 lemons (200 g) lemons, 1 juiced (about 3 tbsp) and 1 cut into wedges for serving
6 dates (60 g) Medjool dates, for serving on the side (optional)

Equipment (5)

5- to 6-quart (5–6 L) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with lid
Blender or box grater (for the tomatoes)
Medium bowl and whisk
Chef's knife and cutting board
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Use canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, to keep this under 2 hours. If you cook dried chickpeas, soak and cook them first.
Lentils do not need soaking, but rinse them and pick out any small stones.
Chop all the herbs and vegetables before you start, because the first steps move quickly.
Have a whisk and a small bowl ready for the flour tempering in step 8. Pour it in slowly to avoid lumps.

1
Prep the ingredients
- Cube the lamb into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces.
- Chop the onion, celery, cilantro and parsley.
- Blend the quartered tomatoes in a blender until completely smooth.
- Rinse the lentils and drain the chickpeas.
- Break the vermicelli into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
- Set everything near the stove.
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Ready when: Tomatoes form a smooth, pourable purée with no large chunks.
Tip: Pat the lamb dry with paper towels so it browns instead of steaming.
2
Brown the lamb
- Heat the olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart (5–6 L) pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute.
- Add the lamb in a single layer and cook, stirring only every minute or so, for 6 to 8 minutes.
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Ready when: Lamb is browned on most sides and a brown film has formed on the bottom of the pot.
Tip: If the pot looks dry or the film starts to burn, reduce the heat to medium.
3
Cook aromatics and spices
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
- Stir in the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, saffron (if using) and tomato paste.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to toast the spices and darken the paste slightly.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent, and the spices smell fragrant and the paste turns a deeper brick red.
Tip: Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot as the onion releases moisture.
4
Add tomatoes, herbs, lentils
- Pour in the tomato purée, then add the cilantro, parsley, lentils, water and salt.
- Stir well and raise the heat to high.
- Bring to a boil, about 8 to 10 minutes, skimming off any foam from the surface.
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Ready when: Soup is at a steady rolling boil.
5
Simmer until lamb is tender
- Reduce the heat to low so the soup bubbles gently.
- Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
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Ready when: A piece of lamb is fork-tender (about 195°F / 90°C inside) and the lentils are soft and creamy when pressed between your fingers.
Tip: If the soup reduces below the level of the solids, add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water.
6
Add chickpeas and vermicelli
- Stir in the chickpeas and vermicelli.
- Increase the heat to medium and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often so the noodles do not stick to the bottom.
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Ready when: Vermicelli is soft with no hard center when you bite a piece.
7
Make the flour tempering
- While the noodles cook, put the flour in a medium bowl.
- Slowly pour in the cold water, whisking constantly, until the mixture is perfectly smooth with no lumps.
- Ladle in about ½ cup (120 ml) of hot soup while whisking to warm it.
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Ready when: The mixture looks like thin, smooth cream with no flour clumps.
Tip: Always start with cold water. Hot water will make the flour clump.
8
Thicken the soup
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Pour the flour mixture into the soup in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a spoon.
- Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every minute or two, to cook out the raw flour taste.
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Ready when: The soup is slightly thickened and silky, lightly coating the back of a spoon, and it no longer smells of raw flour.
Tip: If it gets too thick, stir in hot water ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time.
9
Finish and season
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the juice of 1 lemon.
- Taste and add more salt or pepper as needed.
- Cover and let the soup rest for 5 minutes so the flavors meld.
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Ready when: Soup tastes bright and balanced, savory with a gentle tang.
Tip: Add lemon off the heat for the freshest flavor.
10
Serve
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
- Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing and Medjool dates on the side, if you like.
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Tip: Serve with crusty bread or hard-boiled eggs if you want a heartier meal.

Good to know

Tips

Blend the tomatoes rather than chopping them for the classic smooth, red base.
Pour the flour mixture in a thin stream while stirring to prevent lumps.
Cilantro and parsley give the soup its signature flavor, so don't cut back. Chop the stems too.
The soup keeps thickening as it sits, so keep a little hot water on hand to adjust the consistency.

Make ahead

"Make the soup through step 6 up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat to a simmer, then make and add the flour tempering (steps 7–8) and finish with lemon just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days (the soup thickens and noodles soften, so thin with water when reheating). Freezer: up to 3 months, best frozen before adding vermicelli, though it also works with it. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), adding water to loosen."

Substitutions

boneless lamb shoulder → beef chuck, cut into ½-inch cubes. Simmer the same time. For a vegetarian version, omit the meat and use vegetable broth in place of water.
ripe tomatoes → 1 can (28 oz / 794 g) whole peeled tomatoes, blended with their juices. Use when fresh tomatoes are not ripe.
thin vermicelli noodles → 2 tbsp (25 g) short-grain rice. Add with the chickpeas and simmer 15 minutes, until the rice is tender.
all-purpose flour → 2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch whisked into the cold water. Gluten-free option. Use cornstarch only with gluten-free noodles or rice.