Moroccan Harira
Tomato, pulses and herbs build a silky Moroccan soup whose place at the Ramadan table is as important as its ingredients.
About this dish
Harira is a Moroccan tomato-based soup built from pulses, herbs and often meat, rice or vermicelli. A flour-and-water thickener called tedouira can give the broth its characteristic silky body. Meatless and meat versions both exist; this one uses a modest amount of lamb or beef while keeping chickpeas, lentils, tomato and fresh herbs prominent.
Why this dish matters
Morocco's national tourism office identifies harira as a typical Moroccan soup made from pulses, tomato, pasta and flour and specifically notes its traditional role during Ramadan. The soup is closely associated with breaking the fast, commonly alongside dates and sweets, though it is eaten outside Ramadan as well. Recipes vary substantially by family, city and region, especially in meat, grain, spice and thickness.
There is no single canonical harira. This home version follows a widely documented chickpea-lentil-tomato structure and uses tedouira sparingly so the soup is silky rather than gluey.
Preparation notes
Traditional dried chickpeas work beautifully, but pre-cooked chickpeas make the timing more predictable.
Cilantro and parsley are structural ingredients here, not decorative garnishes.
The flour slurry thickens quickly; stop as soon as the broth turns lightly creamy.
Ingredients & detailed method
Ingredients
- 8 oz lamb or beef, cut in small dice, optional
- 2 tbsp olive or neutral oil
- 1 large onion, grated or finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks with leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 3/4 cup brown or green lentils
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 8 cups water or light stock
- 2 oz broken vermicelli
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour whisked smooth with 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Lemon wedges and dates, for serving
Method
- 1.Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Brown meat if using for 4–5 minutes, then add onion and celery and cook until softened.
- 2.Add ginger, turmeric, pepper and cinnamon and stir 30 seconds.
- 3.Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and cook 8 minutes until the tomato tastes concentrated rather than raw.
- 4.Add chickpeas, lentils, cilantro, parsley and water or stock. Bring to a simmer, partially cover and cook 40–50 minutes until lentils are tender.
- 5.Add broken vermicelli and simmer until tender, usually 5–8 minutes.
- 6.Whisk the flour slurry again, then stream it into the simmering soup while stirring continuously. Start with half and add more only as needed.
- 7.Checkpoint: the broth should become silky and lightly creamy while still flowing freely from a ladle. If it turns heavy, thin with hot water.
- 8.Simmer 5 more minutes, taste for salt and serve hot with lemon and dates if desired.