Harira
Ingredients
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- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion – finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery stalks with leaves – finely chopped
- 8 ounces lamb stew meat – cut into 0.5-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads – crumbled
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 10 cups water
- 3/4 cup chickpeas (dried) – soaked and drained
- 1/2 cup cilantro – finely chopped
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley – finely chopped (~0.5 n/a parsleys)
- 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes (canned) – crushed by hand
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 cup lentils (brown or green) – rinsed
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 ounces vermicelli – broken into 1-inch pieces
- lemon wedges – for serving
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery; cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, 5–7 minutes.
2. Add the lamb and cook, stirring, until lightly colored on the edges, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper, along with the saffron and salt; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
3. Pour in 10 cups water, reserving 2 cups to make the flour slurry later; add the chickpeas and half of the cilantro and parsley (reserve the rest for finishing). Bring to a boil, skim foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the chickpeas are starting to soften and the meat is tender, 45–60 minutes.
4. Crush the tomatoes by hand and add them with the tomato paste and the lentils. Return to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender and the chickpeas are fully cooked, 25–30 minutes.
5. Whisk the flour with the reserved 2 cups liquid in a bowl until completely smooth with no lumps. While the soup gently simmers, slowly pour in the slurry in a thin stream, stirring constantly; add the vermicelli. Simmer, stirring often, until the noodles are cooked and the soup is velvety and lightly thickened, 10–12 minutes; if it thickens too much, loosen with a splash of hot liquid.
6. Stir in the reserved cilantro and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then let the soup rest off the heat for 5 minutes to settle.
7. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Harira is Morocco’s beloved tomato-lentil-chickpea soup, prized for its silky body, gentle warmth, and deeply comforting aroma. A base of onion, celery, herbs, and tender lamb simmers with legumes, then takes on tomatoes and a whisper of cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric. A flour-and-water slurry gives the broth its signature velvety texture, and a handful of vermicelli turns the pot into a satisfying one-bowl meal. Brightened at the table with lemon, it balances hearty richness with fresh herbaceous notes.
Rooted in home kitchens and communal tables across Morocco and the wider Maghreb, harira is especially associated with breaking the daily fast during Ramadan, when it’s served with dates and pastries like chebakia. Its technique—long simmering of meat and chickpeas, tomatoes added later, and a final thickening known as tedouira—reflects centuries of culinary practice with Andalusi and North African threads. While families personalize spice blends and add-ins, the identity of harira as a nourishing, celebratory soup remains constant and culturally significant.