Moroccan Harira Soup
A fragrant, hearty Moroccan tomato soup thickened with a flour slurry and packed with chickpeas, lentils, celery, cilantro and warm spices, finished with lemon. Vegetarian and ideal for breaking a fast or a cozy supper.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Makes
- About 2.25 liters (9 cups), 6 generous bowls
Steps
Before you start
- Use canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, to keep this a roughly one-and-a-half-hour soup. If using dried, soak and cook them first.
- Brown or green lentils hold their shape; red lentils will dissolve and make the soup thicker.
- Chop all vegetables and herbs before you start; the soup moves quickly once the pot is hot.
- Have a whisk and a small bowl ready for the flour slurry so it goes in lump-free.
Soften the aromatics
- Heat the olive oil in a 5-quart (4.7 L) heavy soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, diced celery and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 7 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning; celery is tender-crisp.
Tip: Keep the heat moderate; browned onions make the soup taste heavier than traditional harira.
Bloom the spices
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, ras el hanout, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
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Ready when: The mixture smells strongly aromatic and the spices look like a damp paste.
Tip: If the pot looks dry, add a splash of broth to stop the spices scorching.
Cook down tomatoes
- Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until it darkens slightly.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: The tomatoes have thickened slightly and deepened from bright red to brick red.
Simmer lentils
- Add the rinsed lentils, the broth, half of the cilantro (about ⅜ cup / 15 g), the celery leaves and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
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Ready when: A lentil crushed between your fingers is almost tender with a slightly firm center.
Tip: Add salt only as written; the soup reduces and thickens, so over-salting early can't be undone.
Add the chickpeas
- Stir in the drained chickpeas and the parsley.
- Return to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Lentils are fully tender, and chickpeas are hot and soft.
Make the slurry
- While the soup simmers, whisk the flour with the cold water in a small bowl until completely smooth with no lumps.
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Ready when: The mixture looks like thin, milky cream with no dry flour pockets.
Tip: Use cold water; warm water makes flour clump.
Thicken the soup
- Raise the heat to medium.
- Slowly pour the slurry into the soup in a thin stream while stirring constantly.
- Add the vermicelli if using.
- Simmer 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often.
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Ready when: The soup coats the back of a spoon, tastes no longer starchy, and the vermicelli is tender.
Tip: Stir the bottom of the pot often; the thickened soup can stick and scorch.
Finish and season
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining cilantro.
- Taste and add more salt or pepper as needed.
- If too thick, thin with a few tablespoons of hot water or broth.
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Ready when: The soup tastes bright, savory and balanced, with a lively herb aroma.
Tip: Adding lemon and fresh cilantro off the heat keeps their flavor vivid.
Serve
- Ladle into warm bowls and serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing at the table.
Good to know
Tips
- Pour the slurry in slowly while stirring to get a silky, lump-free body.
- The soup thickens as it cools; thin with hot water or broth when reheating.
- Don't skip the lemon at the end; the acidity balances the earthy lentils and spices.
- Add a pinch of saffron or a few dates on the side for a more traditional serving.
Make ahead
Harira tastes even better the next day. Make it through the end of step 5, cool, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat until simmering, then make the slurry and finish from step 6, adding lemon and fresh cilantro at the end.
Storage & reheating
Cool completely within 2 hours. Refrigerate in airtight containers up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months (best without vermicelli). Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring and thinning with water or broth as the soup thickens when chilled.
Substitutions
- ras el hanout → 1 tsp ground cumin plus ½ tsp ground coriander and ¼ tsp paprika. Approximates the warm, floral blend; flavor will be slightly simpler.
- all-purpose flour → 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed into the water. Gluten-free thickener; add during the final simmer and cook 2 minutes.
- broken vermicelli or thin angel hair pasta → ¼ cup (50 g) rice. Add with the chickpeas and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.
- canned crushed tomatoes → 2 lb (900 g) ripe fresh tomatoes, grated or blended. Simmer an extra 5 minutes to cook off the extra water.
