Harira – Moroccan Tomato, Lentil and Chickpea Soup

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Harira is Morocco’s national soup – thick, warming and full of tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, herbs and gentle spices. It’s the traditional dish to break the fast in Ramadan, but it’s perfect any cold evening.

The flour-and-water mix stirred in at the end (tedouira) gives harira its signature velvety body.

How to Make Harira

1. Brown the meat. Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the meat with the onion and celery for 5 minutes.
2. Add spices and herbs. Stir in the turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, half the herbs and the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Simmer. Add the crushed tomatoes, lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 40 minutes until the lentils and meat are tender.
4. Add chickpeas. Add the chickpeas, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Thicken. Slowly pour in the flour-water mixture while stirring and simmer for 5–10 minutes until the soup is silky and slightly thick.
6. Serve. Stir in the remaining herbs and serve with lemon wedges, dates and bread.

👉 More comfort food from around the world: 25 Cozy Comfort Food Recipes

Footnotes:

Vegetarian: leave out the meat and use vegetable stock – it's still delicious.

Make ahead: harira tastes even better the next day; add a little water when reheating.