Moroccon Harira Soup

A Moroccon stew/soup celebrated for its warm spice profile and ultimate comforting properties.

Harira soup/stew is a highly simple dish found in Morocco. It’s known for its big spice profiles and comforting properties. I personally found it was made differently from place to place I visited, every time it held the same feel though.

Whether you eat meat or not, this dish is absolutely a dish to add to the winter dinner rotation alongside your vegetable soups. It’s also beginner-friendly, meaning even if you think you can’t cook,’ i’m here to hold your hand and step you through it point by point.

Harira soup.

Serves 2-4 people

Ingredients list:

  • 1 medium-sized brown onion

  • 2 stalks celery

  • 1 tomato

  • 1 cup red or brown lentils, dried

  • 3 tbsp tomato paste or concentrate

  • 4 tbsp cumin powder

  • 3 tbsp coriander powder

  • 2 tbsp smoky paprika

  • 2 tbsp salt (preferably Celtic, but any will work)

  • 3 tbsp cinnamon powder

  • 1 tbsp tumeric powder

  • 1 TSP cayanne pepper powder or chili powder or flakes

  • 2 tbsp ginger powder

  • 1 cup fresh coriander or parsley leaves

  • 1 cup either dried and soaked chickpeas or canned chickpeas

  • 2 cups bone broth - chicken or beef, both work

  • 1 cup filtered water

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Step by step:

  1. Measure all spices and salt out into a little bowl together and mix. Then set aside.

  2. Place your onion on your chopping board and slice it in half. Take the peel off, then chop into small cubes. (If you like big pieces of onion, cut them bigger; same with smaller ones.

  3. Take your celery and cut it roughly into bite-sized pieces. Same with the tomato. Cut smaller pieces as the tomato is going to break down into the sauce.

  4. Take a medium to large-sized pot and place it on the stovetop on medium to high heat. Add your olive oil and cut up onion to the pot and wait around 6 minutes for the onion to start sizzling in the oil. Once the onion turns slightly translucent or clear in colour, turn the heat down to medium and add your spice mix. Keep stirring this as we don’t want the spices to burn in the pot.

  5. Stir for a few minutes, then add your tomato paste/concentrate and mix that till it coats everything. (It will stick to the bottom of the pot, but don’t worry.

  6. Add your celery, tomato and lentils. Stir till everything is coated in the pot, then add your bone broth, water and chickpeas. Give everything a good stir and pop a lid half on the pot and turn the heat down to low to let the mixture simmer for around 20 minutes.

  7. Be careful, as the lentils will soak up the liquid, and as the pot simmers away, the mixture will begin to thicken. It’s up to you to decide whether you’d like it thicker, more of a stew, or runnier like a soup. If you want runnier, add another cup or two of filtered water or bone broth. If you like it thicker, leave it as it.

  8. It will be done when you taste the lentils, and they are soft and not crunchy anymore.

  9. Fold through the parsley or coriander as the final step and serve up to enjoy your delicious, nourishing meal.

  10. You can add cooked meat like lamb shanks or chicken towards the end if you desire to.