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Home » Recipes » Soup

Moroccan Lentil Soup: Harira

Published: Oct 15, 2014 · Updated: Jan 15, 2020 · By Lisa Goldfinger · 83 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

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blue dutch over filled with beautiful orange moroccan red lentil soup and a big sprig of green cilantro in the middle

This Moroccan Lentil Soup is hearty, healthy and delicious ~ tender red lentils and chickpeas flavored with warm, fragrant Moroccan spices

blue dutch over filled with beautiful orange moroccan red lentil soup and a big sprig of green cilantro in the middle

I'm a very big fan of this Moroccan Lentil Soup. It's got so much to love - it's thick and creamy, hearty, healthy and colorful, and it's flavored by the beautiful, warm, fragrant spices that characterize Moroccan cuisine.

I discovered this soup when I attended a cooking class on Mediterranean Street Food at Sofra Bakery and Cafe in Cambridge.  My cooking teacher that night - Cara Chigazola - is the Chef de Cuisine at one of my all-time favorite restaurants - Oleana - also in Cambridge.  I was thrilled that Cara gave me the recipe and permission to share it here on Panning The Globe.

blue bowl with orange lentil soup, a spoon, a lemon and lots of sprinkled parsley

It was fun to hear Cara speak about her travels and her love of street food. She told us about a trip she took to Morocco and how she discovered this amazing soup and had to recreate it when she returned home.  I know exactly how she felt!  After I tasted her version I wanted to make it immediately when I got home!  So did my friend Meryl, who took the class with me.

Here's How To Make Moroccan Lentil Soup

Start by chopping and sautéing a mirepoix of carrots, celery and onions, along with a good amount of minced ginger and garlic.

chopped onions, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic on a cutting board with a knife blade

Next add the ground spices: turmeric, cinnamon, paprika and red pepper. Stir the spices around in the pan for a minute or two, until they're lightly toasted.  

At this point you'll be inhaling the beautiful aromatic flavors of this dish and you might close your eyes and take several deep sniffs and start sighing, as I did.

measuring spoons and a glass bowl with three different spices, turmeric, cinnamon and chili powder

Lastly, add the tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, and herbs. Now all you have to do is let it simmer for about a half hour....

wooden cutting board topped with chopped herbs and two bowls, one filled with chickpeas the other with raw red lentils

This Moroccan lentil soup is hearty enough to be a main course. Cara suggests garnishing the bowl with a wedge of lemon to squeeze in, and a date. You can either chop the date, or just put it in the middle of the bowl and scoop up sweet bits of it with each spoonful of soup.

blue bowl filled with red lentil soup with chickpeas, a spoon, a lemon wedge and sprinkles of parsley

If you live in the Boston area, cooking classes at Sofra are a very special treat that I highly recommend. Imagine stepping into a warm Middle Eastern cafe at 6:30 in the evening.

Pour yourself a cup of tea and get comfy on one of the kilim-covered benches. As you watch the chef prepare the food, intoxicating aromas will float your way and you will be seriously craving the scrumptious dishes that are being created. Your wish will be answered with a delicious serving of each dish, along with the perfect wine pairing.

By the end of the night, you'll be happily stuffed and armed with a bunch of great new recipes to make at home (as well as some other irresistible items from Sofra, such as pomegranate molasses and earthquake cookies, if you're me.)

Here's the link for information about Sofra Bakery, Menu, Catering and Cooking classes.
Here's the link for Oleana Restaurant in Cambridge
Update! Chef Cara recently opened a Honey Road restaurant in Burlington Vermont. It's getting great reviews. I can't wait to check it out next time I'm in Burlington.

Other Delicious Moroccan Recipes: 

• Moroccan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes, Apricots and Kale
• Ras El Hanout Spice Mix
• Ras El Hanout Grilled Chicken Thighs
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Chickpeas
• Spicy Moroccan Sweet Potato Stacks
• Moroccan Carrot Soup with Lemon Honey Yogurt
• Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

blue dutch over filled with beautiful orange moroccan red lentil soup and a big sprig of green cilantro in the middle

Here's the recipe for Moroccan Lentil Soup: Harira. If you try this recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to know what you think!

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Recipe

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This Moroccan Lentil Soup is hearty, healthy and flavored with beautiful fragrant spices that characterize Moroccan Cuisine

MOROCCAN LENTIL SOUP: HARIRA


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 18 reviews

  • Author: Panning The Globe
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Beautifully-spiced soup of lentils, chickpeas, vegetables and herbs. Hearty enough for dinner.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup chopped parsley, leaves and tender stems
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems
  • 2 ½ tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 large garlic cloves)
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger (about a 2-inch by 3-inch piece)
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or substitute freshly ground black pepper)
  • 1 ¼ cups dry red lentils, rinsed and picked over
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained (or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas)
  • 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes and their juice, pureed with an immersion blender or squeezed by hand until they're broken down. (I recommend San Marzano or organic)
  • 7-8 cups low salt chicken broth or vegetable broth (I recommend Swanson's)
  • Coarse salt
  • Optional Garnish:
  • Dates, 1 per person, chopped or left whole
  • Lemon wedges (1 per person)

Instructions

  1. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and ginger over medium-low heat until they soften, 5-7 minutes. (Don't let them brown) Add the spices: turmeric, cinnamon, paprika and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, to toast the spices. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth (start with 7 cups and add more later, if you want a thinner soup). Bring to a simmer. Add the lentils, chickpeas, cilantro and parsley. Simmer, uncovered, for about 35 minutes, until the lentils break down and the soup becomes thick and creamy, adding more broth if you want a thinner soup.
  2. Season, to taste, with salt. Serve with lemon wedges and dates.
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Category: Main Dish Soup
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: Moroccan

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

 

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Filed Under: Africa, All Recipes, Dinner, Entertaining, Lunch and Brunch, Moroccan Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, Soup, Vegetarian Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life

    August 31, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    We love lentil soup here. I don't cook with red lentils much (only because my grocery store doesn't carry them) but I just picked some up at the Lebanese market when I was there the other day. I need to try this!

    Reply
  2. Laura @MotherWouldKnow

    August 31, 2015 at 9:12 am

    I've been to Oleana and loved it. This soup looks amazing - have to try it. I have to try it - maybe with the date suggested by another of the commenters.

    Reply
  3. Julius Svoboda

    February 01, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    Lisa, this is becoming a regular dish around the house. However, I substituted the tomatoes in tomato juice with canned tomatoes in TOMATO PUREE. They're a little harder to find but way worth it.

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      February 01, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      So glad you're all enjoying the Moroccan Lentil soup, Julius! Our household loves it too. What brand makes the Tomatoes in Puree? I'd love to try them.

      Reply
  4. Alysonne Hatfield

    January 07, 2015 at 11:00 am

    I tried this last night, and it was excellent. I made no changes other than adding an extra carrot, because I just felt like adding a little extra veg. The flavor was lovely, and the addition of a bit of lemon and a chopped date to the finished product really elevated the dish. A perfect addition to my New Year detox diet.

    Reply
  5. Beth Taylor

    November 14, 2014 at 2:18 pm

    I've made this twice and loved each batch, such a great blend of flavor. Big hit with my husband and sons. This weekend I'm going to make your Colombian chicken soup, can't wait!

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      November 16, 2014 at 7:40 am

      I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed the Moroccan Lentil Soup! My family loves it too!

      Reply
  6. chiaroscuro

    November 07, 2014 at 8:46 pm

    Harira is traditionally eaten to break the day's fast during the month of Ramadan in Morocco. At that time, you can see Moroccans in restaurants with steaming bowls in front of them, waiting for the Muezzin to call that the sun has set. In the old times before digital clocks and weather radios, the muezzin would determine when it was dark by holding a black and a white thread in his hand. When he couldn't tell the difference, he gave his call.

    Reply
    • Laura Hunt

      September 28, 2017 at 4:07 pm

      I have been looking for this recipe for years! I once lived with a Morracan during Ramadan and loved this soup! Can't wait to try it.

      Reply
  7. DEb Nemet

    October 22, 2014 at 10:16 pm

    Lisa, We love (Jim and I) this soup! So easy to make, and so delicious! A hearty meal on a cold fall night. Thank Lisa for sharing this and all your creative recipes and ideas.

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      October 23, 2014 at 7:16 am

      Thanks for the comment Deb! I'm so glad you and Jim enjoyed the soup!

      Reply
  8. Chris

    October 22, 2014 at 5:17 pm

    This soup was amazingly easy to make..the aroma was heavenly...the flavors so good. I will make this again and would certainly serve to company.
    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Freya

    October 18, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    Totally appropriate since I moved to Morocco from Manhattan just 3 weeks ago! Living in beautiful seaside Essaouira. I'll try your soup soon. Shokrun, Freya

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      October 22, 2014 at 2:51 pm

      You're so lucky Freya - it must be beautiful there by the sea. I'm sure you're going to have lots of amazing food there - I hope you enjoy the soup! ~ Lisa

      Reply
  10. Carol at Wild Goose Tea

    October 17, 2014 at 1:14 am

    I just ate a lentil soup that I was mildly disappointed in. I think I would be wildly enthusiastic about this one. I agree with all your adjectives in regard to a particularly well made, well seasoned lentil soup. I envy you your cooking class by the way. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. Rachel (Rachel's Kitchen NZ)

    October 15, 2014 at 2:51 pm

    I do love harira and this looks like a great recipe - thanks Lisa and Cara:)

    Reply
  12. jen

    October 15, 2014 at 11:19 am

    This looks so delicious and perfect for this time of year. Can't wait to make! Thanks, Lisa!

    Reply
  13. Meryl

    October 15, 2014 at 8:43 am

    So delicious!!! I have already made this twice since we went to Sofra. It really is easy and yummy. The class at Sofra was such a treat and Cara was wonderful!!!! They also paired a rose' wine with this soup. Not something I would have thought to do, but it was very good. Thank you, Lisa, for the wonderful experience.

    Reply
  14. Betsy Brand

    October 15, 2014 at 8:33 am

    Can't wait to make this! May drive the 3 hours for the Sofra class one day!

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      October 23, 2014 at 1:17 pm

      It would definitely be worth the drive!

      Reply
  15. Marian Dioguardi

    October 15, 2014 at 8:18 am

    Hmmmm...yummmmm...might just be dinner tonight.

    Reply
  16. Amy Kim

    October 15, 2014 at 7:26 am

    I have heard so many good things about Oleana. My husband has been there many times during his business trips to Boston. I want to check it out next time I'm there!

    By the way, this soup looks so good and hearty...perfect for the season!

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      October 15, 2014 at 10:03 am

      Let me know next time you're coming to town Amy - it would be great to see you! Also, when you're here you might want to try Ana Sortun's newest restaurant - Sarma - for some amazing Turkish Meze. It's become one of my favorites!!!

      Reply
      • Amy Kim

        October 22, 2014 at 10:58 am

        Thanks Lisa! My husband is in Boston this week and I forwarded your recommendation! One of these days I have to make back up to Boston....hopefully before my college reunion in 2016!

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