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Moroccan harira soup served in a small soup bowl, garnished with fresh parsley, with a spoon inside the bowl.
4.98 from 37 ratings

Authentic Moroccan Harira Soup with Lentils

Yield: 8 Cups
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This classic Moroccan Harira soup is zingy, earthy, and comforting, filled with nutritious ingredients like chickpeas, lentils and noodles, and flavoured with warm middle eastern spices.
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Ingredients
 

  • 350 g Veal or beef cubes, skip if vegetarian
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large onions
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, more per preference
  • 2 teaspoons salt, more per preference
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional for heat
  • 1/2 cup brown lentils
  • 800 ml chicken broth, (can be half water)
  • 540 ml canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup vermicelli pasta, short noodles, substitute with rice if unavailable
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 cup parsley, or cilantro
  • 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions
 

  • Start by finely dicing the onions, and prepare the veal (or beef) by cutting it into small cubes (maximum 1/4 inch in size)
  • a pot with sauteed beef cubes inside, being browned with olive oil, using a wooden spoon
    In a soup pot, heat the olive oil. Then, sear the veal on medium high heat until its nicely browned. If it starts to steam and release water (due to overcrowding), simply allow the water to cook off until the meat starts to brown
  • a pot with sauteed beef cubes and chopped onions, along with a wooden spoon
    Next, add the finely diced onions to the pot and continue to cook the onions with the veal, until the onions are translucent and lightly golden. This will take 5-7 minutes
  • a pot with sauteed beef cubes, onions, and spices, as well as a wooden spoon inside
    Next, add the spices and cook for 2 minutes. Then, add the tomato paste and allow it to cook and caramelize for 2 minutes.
  • a pot full of a tomato based soup, with a wooden spoon inside
    Add the chicken stock to the pot, along with the washed and drained brown lentils. Cover the pot and allow it to cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
  • A one cup blender with a blended pink mixture inside, made of tomatoes celery and parsley
    While the soup is cooking, prepare the salsa mixture by blending together the tomatoes, celery, and parsley or cilantro (whichever one you are using) in a blender. See notes if you dislike tomato peel.
  • After 15 minutes, pour the tomato salsa back into the soup pot, and add the washed and drained chickpeas. Cover and allow to cook for another 10 minutes.
  • Lastly, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if required. Then, add the vermicelli noodles and cook the soup a further 10 minutes until the noodles soften and plump up.
  • A pot of tomato based soup with a wooden spoon inside
    Serve the soup hot, with more parsley/cilantro for garnish and lemon slices for a final squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Traditional Harira soup is made with meat, but feel free to make this a completely vegetarian soup by skipping it. It will still be delicious and hearty. You can also replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
  • If you dislike tomato peel (but really there's no need because it does get blended up really well if you use a high-powered blender), feel free to peel your tomatoes. Do this by submerging them in boiling water for a few minutes. Then, the peel should come off quite easily. Then proceed to the blending step.
  • If you can't find vermicelli noodles, feel free to replace them with medium or short grain rice.
  • If you enjoy spicy soups, feel free to increase the amount of black pepper, or add some cayenne pepper to your preference.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 313kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 1026mg, Potassium: 625mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 993IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 4mg
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