The food of the Mediterranean can morph across its different countries and regions in the most interesting ways. The deliciously warm and cozy Moroccan soup, harira, is loaded with healthy ingredients like chickpeas, lentils and greens. The vegan Moroccan lentil soup, Harira, is headily aromatic with the warmth of ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and a dollop of homemade harissa paste.
A Moroccan harira soup, for instance, is not unlike an Italian pasta e ceci. Both feature legumes and pasta in a brothy dish. Both are delicious and nourishing additions to the diet, especially this time of year. A harira contains a few spices - most already in your pantry - that give it so much warmth and character. It also has oodles of nutrients, from lentils, chickpeas (sometimes fava beans), pasta and greens. This is not a creamy soup but it is silky, with a broth base and lots of texture from the chickpeas, lentils and pasta. Cilantro and parsley add a note of freshness to steady the warm spices.
Harira, pronounced hah-ree-rah, gets its name from the Arbic word حرير or “harir,” which literally means silk, a fitting description of its velvety texture. Harira is a classic Moroccan lentil and chickpea soup with fresh herbs and loads of warm spices. This tasty lentil and chickpea soup is served in Morocco and other parts of North Africa anytime of the year, but it is especially associated with the month of Ramadan and is served most often to break the fast. A Muslim staple to break the daily fast of Ramadan, it has crossed over to the Moroccan Jewish tradition of breaking the fast of Yom Kippur.
Here's a detailed recipe to guide you through making this comforting and flavorful soup.
Ingredients:
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- Legumes: chickpeas and lentils (brown lentils or green lentils). Chickpeas need to be cooked ahead, or use canned, but the lentils will go into the pot raw.
- Vegetables: onions, celery and spinach. I used baby spinach.
- Herbs: garlic, cilantro and parsley. There is more garlic in the harissa paste, making this soup quite garlicky.
- Spices: ground coriander, ground cumin, ground ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, and ground allspice (optional). I like adding the allspice for more flavor, but you can skip it.
- Tomato paste and pureed tomatoes.
- Pasta: Any small pasta, including orzo, farfalle or ditalini. You can also break a long pasta like vermicelli or angel hair pasta into 1-inch pieces and add it to this soup. You need just about a cup of dry pasta. Feel free to omit the vermicelli noodles if you can't find them. You can also use capellini pasta broken into small (2-inch) pieces.
- Vegetable stock or mushroom stock.
- Harissa paste.
- Lemon juice.
- Olive oil
Preparation:
This is an utterly simple recipe and making it is just knowing when to add what ingredient to the pot - a process I've attempted to demystify with the detailed step-by-step photos below.
- Place olive oil in pot.
- Add celery, onions and garlic along with some salt and ground black pepper. Turn heat to medium. Sauté the onions and celery for a couple of minutes until the onions are soft.
- Add half the parsley, half the cilantro, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, turmeric, paprika and optional ground allspice. Mix them in and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and pureed tomatoes and mix.
- Stir in the uncooked, rinsed lentils and canned or cooked chickpeas. Mix them in.
- Add six cups of vegetable stock or mushroom stock or water. Mix and wait for the liquid to boil.
- Stir once more, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- Stir in the pasta. Cover the pot again and let the pasta cook for another 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Stir in the spinach and let it wilt.
- Add harissa paste and lemon juice and mix. Check salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish the harira with the remaining parsley and/or cilantro.
This Moroccan harira soup is the perfect warming recipe. It is completely vegetarian and vegan but filling thanks to the red lentils, chickpeas and loads of vegetables like broccoli, carrots and parsnips.
In a large pot set over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the carrots, parsnips and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon and salt and cook, stirring often, until the mixture is fragrant, 1½ to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute more. Stir in the chickpeas and lentils. Pour in the stock, stirring any browned bits up from the bottom of the pot, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes more, until just tender (they will continue cooking off the heat). Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and half the cilantro.
Tips and Variations:
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- Can I skip the harissa paste? You can, just add a little cayenne with the rest of the powdered spices. I would also increase the amount of garlic.
- Can I use other greens in this recipe? You can use any quick-cooking green, including Swiss chard, arugula, beet greens or watercress.
- Why did the soup get so thick upon standing? The beans and the pasta or rice will continue to thicken the soup long after cooking is over. If the harira has thickened too much, just add some water and reheat.
Storing Harira Soup
Store the soup in the fridge for up to five days, or freeze for up to four months. Thaw and reheat, adding water to thin it out if necessary. This satisfying vegetarian soup is even better the next day, so it is the perfect make-ahead pot to feed a little crowd.
Vegan Harira Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Soup
Traditionally, in Ramadan, we have dates with soup! Also, a very popular (and delicious!) accompaniment is samosas. Try these delicious cheesy potato samosas, or these musakahan chicken ones.
Additional Tips:
- Leftover soup will last very well in the fridge 3-4 days. It’ll thicken in the fridge, so add a splash of water while reheating.
- Harira soup made WITHOUT noodles can also be frozen for 3-4 months in an airtight container in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight, or just place the frozen block of soup in a saucepan on low heat and it’ll thaw quickly.
Gluten-Free Option:
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The original recipe calls for flour and vermicelli noodles, both of which contain gluten. To make gluten free harira soup, use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the soup, and either omit the noodles or add a gluten free version instead.
Health Benefits:
Yes! It’s packed with vegetarian protein, fiber, and vitamins from all the different legumes and vegetables. It’s a great soup that’ll stand on its own as a meal or can be part of a Middle Eastern spread.
Freezing Instructions:
In order to best freeze harira soup, freeze it before adding the noodles and add those in when you are heating up the frozen soup- bring to a boil for a few minutes. This’ll keep those thin, delicate noodles from breaking down.
One of the things I love about this popular soup is that there are many variations of it, depending on what legumes you have on hand. I used a combination of green lentils, red lentils, and chickpeas (canned chickpeas are a great shortcut option). I took some liberties by adding things like celery and carrots (the carrots are a nice idea because they add a subtle sweetness). And in place of vermicelli pasta, I used long grain rice (or basmati rice) which makes this recipe gluten free.
The decidedly warm North African flavors in this harira soup recipe is what makes it different from another lentil soup or chickpea soup.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve with Lemon Wedges. Don’t underestimate that fresh squeeze of lemon to wake all the earthy and deep flavors in this soup up! Cut up one or two lemons into wedges and have those available next to the soup. You don’t need much else to serve next to this hearty soup, but a little warm pita bread won’t hurt.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 4 tbsp |
| Onions | 1-2, chopped |
| Celery | 2 stalks, diced |
| Carrots | 2, diced |
| Garlic | 4 cloves, minced |
| Crushed Tomatoes | 1 can (28 oz) |
| Tomato Paste | 2 tbsp |
| Green Lentils | 1/2 cup |
| Red Lentils | 1/2 cup |
| Chickpeas | 1 can (15 oz), drained |
| Cilantro | 1/4 cup, chopped |
| Vegetable or Chicken Broth | 7 cups |
| Rice | 1/4 cup (or vermicelli) |
| Spices | To taste (turmeric, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne) |
| Lemon Wedges | For serving |
Enjoy this flavorful and nourishing vegan Moroccan Harira soup!
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tags: #Moroccan
