Harira Recipe - Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Soup (2024)

Published: September 7, 2019 • Modified: November 15, 2022 • by Author: Analida • Word count:1701 words. • About 9 minutes to read this article. • This post may contain affiliate links.

Harira is a traditional hearty Moroccan soup with bold flavors and is very simple to make. Are you looking for a hearty vegetarian soup that will put "meat" on your bones? Then this Moroccan chickpea and lentil soup is just for you.

What is harira?

Harira is a traditional Moroccan soup made with chickpeas, lentils, tomato, onions, carrots, celery, cilantro and parsley. What I love about this soup are the incredible flavors. I would venture to say this is like no other soup you have ever tried. Now, given the rich taste and aroma, you'd think that this recipe uses tons of spices. Not so! Turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, pepper, salt and a dash of cinnamon. That's it. The cinnamon is not as strange as it sounds; it gives an incredible depth to the already rich flavors in this soup. So not only is this soup so delicious, but it’s not fussy or overly complicated. It’s simple, yet super delicious. My family LOVES it! This is quick to make and is perfect for the cold winter days. Use a stock pot or Dutch oven to put your harira together.

According to a student from Morocco who attends the university where I work, this is a typical dish to eat during Ramadan. It is what you eat at sunset to break the fast. If you want to eat this as Moroccans do traditionally during Ramadan, eat harira with the small sesame based cookies known as chebakia. Although harira is closely affiliated with the holiday, people still make it year round. I like to serve mine with pita bread or some Moroccan bread or khobz.

When you dig into a bowl of this Moroccan chickpea and lentil soup (Harira) you won't need anything else. It's that satisfying. Harira recipes vary from family to family, so while my recipe doesn’t use any meat, feel free to add your favorite meat. Between lamb, chicken, or beef, you have many options to add-on this yummy base. This soup reheats beautifully, and also freezes well.

Now, if you want to be 100% authentic, then you need to use dry chickpeas that have been soaked overnight. The cooking time will be longer though. For this recipe, as a shortcut, I use canned chickpeas. Make sure you drain and rinse them. For the lentils, I did use dry lentils because they don't take too long to cook. To properly make this vegetarian, omit the chicken stock I use in the recipe. I’m not vegetarian which is why I opted to use it, but you can replace the chicken stock with some extra vegetable stock or just water.

Thickening options:

I use cornstarch to thicken this soup and I add it to the onions, carrots and celery as soon as the onions are translucent. The cornstarch coats the vegetables so it fully integrates once you add the broth and you don't end up with clumps.

An extra little tip if you’re interested: you can also make your harira thicker by adding egg to it. All you must do is beat 2 to 3 eggs and add ¼ cup of lemon juice. Slowly stream this into your harira as it cooks. You may see some white strands from the egg while it cooks and thickens. That’s ok!

History of chickpeas and lentils

Both chickpeas and lentils have been around for millennia. Chickpeas have been cultivated since around 3,000 B.C. Like many of the foods we know today, they originated in the Fertile Crescent. From there they spread to India, Africa, and Egypt. Eventually they made their way to Europe where they were a favorite of the ancient Roman diet. In modern times, chickpeas are most consumed in India, Pakistan, and Myanmar. India is a largely vegetarian country, so eating beans and legumes is very common.

Lentils, like chickpeas, are an ancient crop. Actually they are even older, with the oldest record of cultivation dating back to around 5,500-5,000 BC. Lentils were a valuable crop because they made up for the protein needs which could not be obtained from cereals.

Lentils are most popular in the Mediterranean, India, where lighter diets with less meat reign supreme, and surprisingly, Canada.

Here are the steps to make Moroccan Harira Soup:

• Step 1: Gather all your ingredients and have them chopped, measured and ready to go. I like to use glass prep bowls that come in a variety of sizes for this step. You can mix the spices and salt together.
• Step 2: In a soup pot heat the olive oil on medium and sauté the onions, carrots and celery until the onions are translucent. Add the corn starch and stir a few times to combine.

• Step 3: Add the spice mixture and stir to combine.
• Step 4: Add the chicken and vegetable broth to the pot.

• Step 5: Using and immersion blender break up the solids little bit but not too much.
• Step 6: Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the parsley, cilantro and rinsed chickpeas.

• Step 7: Add the dry lentils.
• Step 8: Add the crushed tomatoes. Turn down the heat to medium and cook for 25 minutes then serve.

Equipment needed

• Dutch oven or stock pot: I love my Le Creuset 5 quart Dutch oven and I use my 13.25 quart for a double batch. (affiliate links).
• Immersion Blender: This break up the onions, celery and carrots when they are soft. You can find many versions of these immersion blenders on Amazon
• Glass prep bowl: I start every recipe with all my ingredients ready to go in glass prep bowls. It keeps me on track.
• Measuring Pitchers: These are another must have item.

Variations to add to the Harira

• Pasta: Add this near the end and break the long strands in half if using angel hair or use orzo. If you have cooked pasta, just drop it in.
• Beef, chicken or lamb: Cut the meat into bite size pieces and brown in a skillet then add to the soup at the simmering stage. Cook until tender.
• Rice: You can add cooked rice at the end before serving to enhance the dish too.
• Lemon: Add fresh squeezed lemon just before you serve for some added fresh kick.
• Cayenne Pepper: If you like a little heat add some sparingly during the simmering step or go all out and add 1 teaspoon but check the heat level.

Frequently asked questions

Make a batch of Moroccan chickpea and lentil soup (harira) and share the recipe with your friends.

If you want to explore more Moroccan recipes here are a few you can try that are very easy to make. I have two dishes for a tagine style chicken that you can easily make in a slow cooker. The Moroccan chicken tagine has a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors with apricots, an exotic spice blend and topped with sliced potato. Another tagine dish to try is Moroccan saffron chicken with savory delicate flavors.

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