Harira
Moroccan tomato-and-lentil soup with chickpeas, lamb (often) and a swarm of spices and herbs. Traditionally served at iftar to break the Ramadan fast; equally good year-round on a cold evening.
Overview
Lamb shoulder cubes simmer slow with chickpeas, lentils, tomatoes, vermicelli noodles, and a heavy spice mix (ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin) in a generous broth. The soup is finished by adding the noodles in the last 10 minutes and a final scatter of fresh coriander, parsley and lemon juice.
Ingredients
- 400 g lamb shoulder (cut into 1 cm cubes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions (chopped)
- 4 celery sticks (chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- A pinch of saffron threads
- 2 tablespoons tomato purée
- 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes (2 tins)
- 200 g tinned chickpeas (or dried chickpeas, cooked if dried)
- 100 g brown lentils (rinsed)
- 1 ½ litres chicken (or lamb stock)
- 100 g vermicelli noodles (broken into short pieces)
- A small bunch of fresh coriander (chopped)
- A small bunch of fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 lemon (juice)
- Salt
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
Stage 1 - Brown the lamb
- Heat the oil in a large heavy pot.
- Brown the lamb cubes in batches; set aside.
Stage 2 - Soffritto and spices
- Cook the onion and celery in the same pot for 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger and all the dry spices; cook 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato purée; cook 1 minute.
Stage 3 - Simmer
- Return the lamb. Add the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils and stock.
- Bring to a simmer; cover loosely and cook 1 hour until the lamb is tender and the lentils are soft.
Stage 4 - Vermicelli and finish
- Add the vermicelli noodles; cook 8-10 minutes until soft.
- Stir in the coriander, parsley and lemon juice. Taste; salt as needed.
Stage 5 - Serve
- Ladle into deep bowls.
- Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.
Notes
- Lamb is traditional but optional: Vegetarian harira is common; double the chickpeas and lentils, swap stock for vegetable.
- Vermicelli late: Earlier and the noodles dissolve into starch.
- Generous lemon at the end: Brightens the spice; restores balance after the long simmer.
Storage
- Improves overnight. Keeps 4 days refrigerated.
- Freezes 3 months. Add fresh noodles when reheating to keep them al dente.
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