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Harira
Tomato, lentil and chickpea soup
Morocco's Ramadan soup of tomato, lentils, chickpeas and herbs, thickened to a velvety finish
When the call to prayer ends the fast during Ramadan, tables from Tangier to Ouarzazate are set with a bowl of harira, dates and chebakia. This tomato soup is thick with lentils, chickpeas and a great deal of coriander, parsley and celery, and gets its silky body from a flour-and-water slurry stirred in at the end. Many families cook it with a little lamb; this meat-free version uses a well-browned onion and tomato base and olive oil instead of smen, so it is fully vegan and still deeply savoury. Chef's tip: the soup should coat a spoon like thin custard; add the flour slurry slowly while stirring and stop when it reaches that point. Variation: for the meat version, brown 250 g diced lamb with the onion at the start.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionlarge, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticksfinely chopped, with leaves
- 1 oz fresh corianderfinely chopped
- 1 oz flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 ⅓ lb ripe tomatoesblended smooth
- 5 ½ oz brown or green lentilsrinsed
- 8 ½ oz cooked chickpeas1 tin, drained
- 1.8 litres water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ oz broken vermicelli
- 1 ⅜ oz plain flour
- ¾ cup cold water
- 6 lemon wedges (optional)to serve
- 12 dates (optional)to serve
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add 1 onion and 2 celery sticks and cook for 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
8 minStep 2: Stir in two-thirds of ¾ oz fresh coriander and ¾ oz flat-leaf parsley, then 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until the herbs wilt and the kitchen smells of warm spice.
2 minStep 3: Add 3 tbsp tomato purée and cook for 1 minute, then pour in 1 ⅓ lb ripe tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until the colour deepens to brick red.
6 minStep 4: Add 5 ½ oz brown or green lentils, 8 ½ oz cooked chickpeas, 1.8 litres water and 2 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a medium-low heat for 30 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
30 minStep 5: Add 1 ¾ oz broken vermicelli and simmer for 5 minutes until tender.
5 minStep 6: Whisk 1 ⅜ oz plain flour into ¾ cup cold water until completely smooth, with no lumps at all. A lumpy slurry is the most common harira mistake; pass it through a sieve if in doubt.
Step 7: Turn the heat to low. Pour the slurry into the soup in a thin stream, stirring all the time. Simmer for 5 minutes, still stirring, until the soup turns velvety and no longer tastes floury.
5 minStep 8: Stir in the rest of ⅓ oz fresh coriander and ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsley, taste for salt and serve hot with 6 lemon wedges and 12 dates.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does harira take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of celery sticks?
- Fennel, same weight.
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