Harira (Moroccan Tomato, Lentil and Chickpea Soup)
حریرہ (مراکشی ٹماٹر، دال اور چنوں کا سوپ)
At sunset during Ramadan, almost every Moroccan table has a bowl of harira, served with dates and honey-soaked sweets. It's a thick, comforting soup of tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas, fragrant with fresh coriander, parsley, ginger and a touch of cinnamon, and given a silky body by a flour-and-water mixture called *tadouira* stirred in at the end. Traditionally it includes a little lamb; this version can be made with lamb, chicken or no meat at all. Pakistani readers will find it between a daal and a shorba.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 30 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 1 hr 10 min
- Easy
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the meat (if using) with the onion for 5 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, pepper and salt and stir for 1 minute.
Add the grated tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, half the herbs and the water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 40 minutes (1 hour with lamb) until the lentils and meat are tender.
Add the chickpeas and vermicelli and simmer for 8 minutes.
For the tadouira, whisk the flour with 1 cup cold water until smooth. Pour it into the simmering soup in a thin stream, stirring constantly, and cook for 5 minutes until the soup turns thick and velvety.
Stir in the remaining herbs and serve hot with lemon wedges, dates and bread.
Kitchen notes
Stir constantly when adding the tadouira, or the flour will form lumps.
Some families add a beaten egg at the end, stirred in to make threads, for extra richness.
Harira thickens as it stands. Thin it with hot water when reheating.
Morocco’s Ramadan soup
Harira is cooked all year, but in Ramadan it becomes a ritual. As the call to prayer marks sunset, families break the fast with dates and water, then a bowl of harira, often with chebakia, sesame cookies soaked in honey. Every family has its own recipe, and the smell of harira simmering fills Moroccan streets in the late afternoon.
Thick and silky
What makes harira different from an ordinary lentil soup is the tadouira, a slurry of flour (sometimes with tomato paste or yogurt) stirred in near the end. It gives the soup a smooth, velvety body. Add it slowly while stirring so it doesn’t form lumps.
Herbs and spices
Generous amounts of fresh coriander and parsley, plus ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper, give harira its warm, fresh flavour. It’s not spicy-hot; lemon squeezed in at the table adds brightness.
Serving
Serve with dates, bread and lemon wedges. For more Ramadan dishes from across the Arab world, try shorbat adas, harees and luqaimat, or browse our Ramadan and iftar collection.
Questions people ask
Can I make harira vegetarian?
Yes. Leave out the meat and use vegetable stock; the lentils and chickpeas make it filling.
Why is it eaten in Ramadan?
It's warm, gentle on an empty stomach, and full of protein and fluid, ideal after a day of fasting.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 260
- Protein
- 15 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
