North African Harira Soup (Printable View)

Hearty North African tomato stew with chickpeas, lentils, and warming spices for comforting meals.

# What You'll Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight and drained) or 2 cups canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
02 - 1/2 cup dried lentils (rinsed)

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 large onion (finely chopped)
05 - 2 celery stalks (diced)
06 - 2 medium carrots (diced)
07 - 3 garlic cloves (minced)
08 - 1 can chopped tomatoes (400 g/14 oz)
09 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (approximately 15 g)
10 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (approximately 15 g)

→ Spices

11 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
15 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
16 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
17 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Liquids

18 - 6 cups vegetable broth (approximately 1.5 liters)
19 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Sweet & Savory Touch

20 - 1/2 cup dried apricots (chopped, approx. 80 g)
21 - Juice of 1 lemon

→ Optional Garnishes

22 - Lemon wedges
23 - Extra chopped cilantro or parsley
24 - Cooked vermicelli or rice

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrots and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in the minced garlic and all ground spices. Cook for 1 minute until fragrance is released.
03 - Add tomato paste and cook for another minute, then stir in chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, and chopped dried apricots.
04 - Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas and lentils are tender.
05 - Stir in chopped cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Add cooked vermicelli or rice if desired for a heartier dish.
07 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot, garnished with additional herbs and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that fills your kitchen with the most incredible aroma while it simmers—your whole house smells like a spice market.
  • One bowl tastes both comforting and exciting, with that unexpected sweetness from apricots playing beautifully against warming spices.
  • It gets better the next day, so you can make it ahead without any guilt, and it's naturally vegetarian while feeling completely satisfying.
02 -
  • Don't skip the tomato paste—it seems like a small ingredient, but it's what gives harira its deep, savory foundation and prevents it from tasting too acidic.
  • The lemon juice at the very end is essential; without it, the soup tastes flat, but with it, everything suddenly clicks into place and tastes balanced.
  • If you use canned chickpeas, add them toward the end of cooking so they don't fall apart; dried chickpeas can handle the full simmering time without getting mushy.
03 -
  • Invest in whole spices and toast them lightly before grinding if you want an even more aromatic soup, though ground spices work beautifully here too.
  • Don't be afraid to taste as you cook and adjust seasoning along the way—harira should taste slightly bold when it's done, since it mellows and rounds out as it cools and sits.
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