Best 5 Moroccan Harira Soup Recipes

HARIRA (SPICED MOROCCAN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CHICKPEAS, CILANTRO, AND LEMON)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until the onion turns translucent and begin to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin, harissa or chile flakes, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup each of the parsley and cilantro, tomatoes, and the stock or water and bring to a boil. If using the soaked chickpeas, drain them and add to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, then add the lentils, another teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and continue simmering until the chickpeas and lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes more. If using canned chickpeas omit the first 25 minutes of simmering and add with the lentils.
• Whisk the flour, egg, and lemon juice into 2 cups (470 ml) of water. Stir into the soup. Simmer the soup about 5 minutes more and serve, sprinkled with the remaining cilantro and parsley. And don't forget to have some extra harissa in a plate on the side.

MOROCCAN HARIRA (BEAN SOUP)

Steps:

• Stir beef stock and lentils together in a large pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and keep at a simmer while preparing onion.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion, cinnamon stick, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and black pepper in the hot oil until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes; add to stock mixture.
• Pour garbanzo beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and quinoa into the stock mixture; stir and bring mixture to a boil. Stir parsley and cilantro into the stock mixture; reduce heat to low and cook mixture at a simmer until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Drizzle lemon juice over the soup before serving.

MOROCCAN HARIRA SOUP

Steps:

• Cook lentils in pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain.
• Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, parsley, cilantro, ginger, and cinnamon. Saute 5 minutes or until onion is soft.
• Stir in tomatoes and saute 5 minutes more.
• Stir in broth, chickpeas, lentils, reserved tomato liquid, and 3 cups water.
• Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 45 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occassionally.
• In separate bowl, whisk flour with 1 cup water.
• Whisk in cilantro, lemon juice and tomato paste.
• Add mixture to soup.
• Add orzo to soup.
• Cook for 5 minutes or until orzo is soft.

MEATLESS HARIRA (A MOROCCAN SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, saute the onion, parsley, celery, pepper and turmeric in the butter for a few minutes, then add the cinnamon and other spices.
• Saute on very low heat for about 15 minutes or less, until the onions are soft and the spices are well-distributed.
• Wash the lentils.
• Puree the coriander leaves in a blender with a little water, or pound with a mortar and pestle.
• Add both to the pot, along with the crushed tomatoes (I also like to puree the tomatoes in the blender before I add them, to eliminate any large chunks that might remain).
• Cook for 15 minutes over low heat, and then add 1 1/2 quarts of water (about 7 cups).
• Add the soup cube.
• Cook on low/medium heat until the lentils are soft (I usually let the soup cook for about 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend).
• A few minutes before serving, add salt to the soup (you could also add some vermicelli or other small soup noodle at this point, but I personally don't; if you do, make sure to allow an extra few minutes for the noodles to cook).
• Add the flour and water mixture; mix well to prevent lumps from forming.
• Serve with lemon wedges on the side, to be squeezed over the soup.

HARIRA (MOROCCAN LENTIL SOUP)

Steps:

• Chop celery, onion, cilantro.
• Place the lamb (bones optional, for flavoring), spices, margarine, celery, onion, and cilantro into a large pot over a low heat.
• Stir tomatoes(without juice) into the mixture and let simmer for 15 minutes.
• Pour tomato juice, 7 cups water, and the lentils into the pot.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Let soup simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Stirring occasionally.
• About 10 minutes before serving turn the heat to medium-high, place chickpeas and vermicelli into the soup, let cook about 10 minutes.
• Serve soup with lemon wedges on the side.
• This is optional: serve with warm slices of bread, dates and boiled eggs (cut in half and sprinkled with cumin and salt).