Moroccan Harira with Lentils and Chickpeas

Name: Moroccan Harira with Lentils and Chickpeas
Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 31 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: ¼ tsp (0.2 g) saffron threads, lightly crushed between your fingers; 2 tbsp (30 ml) warm water, for steeping the saffron; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 9 oz) (250 g) yellow onion, finely chopped; 3 ribs (about 4 oz) (120 g) celery, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice, leaves chopped and kept; 3 cloves (15 g) garlic, finely minced; 1 tsp (2 g) ground ginger; 1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric; ½ tsp (1½ g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (1.2 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 1¼ lb (570 g) ripe tomatoes, halved and coarsely grated on a box grater, skins discarded (about 2 cups pulp); 1 cup (200 g) brown lentils, rinsed and drained; 7 cups (1650 ml) water, or vegetable broth; 1 can (15 oz) (250 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups); 1 cup, packed (30 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems finely chopped; ½ cup, packed (20 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 3 tbsp (24 g) all-purpose flour; 1 cup (240 ml) cold water, cold; ¼ cup (30 g) fine vermicelli noodles, broken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces (optional); 1 large (about 3½ oz) (100 g) lemon, half juiced (about 2 tbsp / 30 ml), half cut into 6 wedges for serving

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fragrant, tomato-rich Moroccan soup of brown lentils and chickpeas, scented with saffron, ginger, and cinnamon, thickened with a flour slurry, and finished with plenty of cilantro and lemon. Hearty enough for dinner and traditionally served to break the Ramadan fast.

Prep: 16 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 36 min
Makes: About 11 cups (2.6 L), 6 generous bowls

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

6 servings

For the soup
¼ tsp (0.2 g) saffron threads, lightly crushed between your fingers
2 tbsp (30 ml) warm water, for steeping the saffron
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 9 oz) (250 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
3 ribs (about 4 oz) (120 g) celery, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice, leaves chopped and kept
3 cloves (15 g) garlic, finely minced
1 tsp (2 g) ground ginger
1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric
½ tsp (1.5 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1.2 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1¼ lb (570 g) ripe tomatoes, halved and coarsely grated on a box grater, skins discarded (about 2 cups pulp)
1 cup (200 g) brown lentils, rinsed and drained
7 cups (1650 ml) water, or vegetable broth
1 can (15 oz) (250 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups)
1 cup, packed (30 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems finely chopped
½ cup, packed (20 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
For the thickener
3 tbsp (24 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (240 ml) cold water, cold
To finish
¼ cup (30 g) fine vermicelli noodles, broken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces (optional)
1 large (about 3½ oz) (100 g) lemon, half juiced (about 2 tbsp / 30 ml), half cut into 6 wedges for serving

Equipment (6)

5–6 quart (5 L) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
Box grater or food processor
Small bowl for steeping saffron
Medium bowl and whisk for the flour slurry
Wooden spoon
Fine-mesh sieve

Steps

Before you start

Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve and pick out any small stones or debris.
Ripe tomatoes are best, but if yours are pale or out of season, use one 14-oz (400 g) can of whole or diced tomatoes with their juice instead.
Harira is meant to be thick but still soupy. You can adjust it with extra hot water at the end.
Have a 5–6 quart (5 L) heavy pot ready. The soup bubbles up when the slurry goes in.

1
Steep the saffron
- Place the crushed saffron in a small bowl and pour over the 2 tbsp (30 ml) warm water.
- Set it aside to steep while you prep the vegetables.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The water turns deep golden-orange.
Tip: Warm, not boiling, water extracts the color and aroma without dulling it.
2
Prep the vegetables
- Finely chop the onion, dice the celery (keep the chopped leaves), and mince the garlic.
- Halve the tomatoes and grate the cut sides on a box grater into a bowl until only the skins remain; discard the skins.
- Chop the cilantro and parsley.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The tomato pulp is about 2 cups and the onion and celery are in even small pieces.
Tip: Small, even pieces melt into the broth and give harira its characteristic texture.
3
Soften the onion and celery
- Heat the olive oil in the pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, celery, and celery leaves with a pinch of the salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The onion is soft and translucent with no browning.
Tip: If the vegetables start to brown, lower the heat. Browning changes the flavor from sweet to roasted.
4
Toast spices and paste
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, and tomato paste.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, to deepen the paste and wake up the spices.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The paste darkens to brick red and the mixture smells strongly fragrant.
Tip: Add a splash of water if anything sticks to the bottom of the pot.
5
Cook down the tomatoes
- Add the grated tomato pulp and stir, scraping up any browned bits.
- Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The tomatoes look thick and jammy and the oil begins to shimmer around the edges.
6
Simmer the lentils
- Add the rinsed lentils and the 7 cups (1650 ml) water, plus the remaining salt.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off any foam, then reduce to medium-low.
- Simmer partly covered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: A lentil squashes easily between your fingers but is still slightly firm in the center.
Tip: Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil splits the lentils and makes the soup cloudy.
7
Add chickpeas and saffron
- Stir in the chickpeas, the saffron and its soaking liquid, and half of the cilantro and parsley.
- Simmer, partly covered, for 10 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The lentils are completely tender and the broth is deep orange-red.
Tip: Hold back the other half of the herbs for the end so the soup tastes bright and fresh.
8
Thicken with the slurry
- Whisk the flour with the 1 cup (240 ml) cold water in a bowl until completely smooth.
- Raise the heat to medium.
- Slowly pour the slurry into the soup while stirring constantly, then simmer for 8 minutes, stirring often.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The soup coats the back of a spoon and no longer tastes of raw flour.
Tip: Always use cold water and pour slowly while stirring; hot liquid makes the flour clump.
9
Add the vermicelli
- If using, stir in the broken vermicelli.
- Simmer for 4–5 minutes, stirring often so the noodles don't clump or stick to the bottom.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The noodles are soft with no hard center.
Tip: If you skip the noodles, simmer 5 minutes more instead.
10
Finish and rest
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Juice half the lemon and cut the other half into 6 wedges.
- Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining cilantro and parsley.
- Taste and add salt, pepper, or more lemon as needed.
- If it is too thick, stir in hot water ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time.
- Let the soup rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then ladle into bowls and serve with lemon wedges.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The soup is thick but pourable, bright with herbs, and tastes balanced between savory and tangy.
Tip: The soup thickens as it sits, so thin it with hot water when reheating.

Good to know

Tips

Grating the tomatoes gives a smooth, naturally thick base without chunks of skin.
Add the slurry slowly and stir constantly for a silky, lump-free soup.
Do not add the lemon juice until the end; acid early can keep lentils from softening.
Serve with dates and crusty bread, the traditional way to break the Ramadan fast.

Make ahead

Harira tastes even better the next day. Make it through the slurry step (without the vermicelli, lemon, and final herbs), cool, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat, add vermicelli if using, and finish with lemon and fresh herbs.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: airtight container up to 4 days (without vermicelli, which turns soft). Freezer: up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring and adding water or broth to loosen, until steaming hot.

Substitutions

saffron threads → Extra ½ tsp ground turmeric. Gives similar color but not saffron's floral aroma.
ripe tomatoes → 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) crushed or diced tomatoes. A good option out of tomato season; no grating needed.
fine vermicelli noodles → Broken angel hair pasta or small rice. Rice needs about 12 minutes of simmering; add it with the slurry.
all-purpose flour → 2 tbsp chickpea flour or fine semolina. Whisk with the cold water in the same way; gluten-free if using chickpea flour.