Moroccan Soup – Harira soup
- Cooking time : ~1h30
Moroccan harira is a traditional and beloved soup that’s especially popular during Ramadan, but enjoyed throughout the year. It’s a hearty, flavorful soup that combines a rich mix of ingredients and spices. Here’s a closer look at this classic Moroccan dish:
Vegetarian Version: Some variations exclude meat and rely on additional legumes and vegetables.
Regional Differences: Recipes can vary by region and family tradition, with different proportions of ingredients and spices.
Symbolic: Harira is not just a meal; it carries cultural and religious significance, especially during Ramadan when it’s part of the Iftar meal (the meal eaten to break the fast).
Family and Community: Preparing and sharing harira often involves family gatherings and communal eating, reinforcing its role in Moroccan social life.
Harira embodies the warmth and hospitality of Moroccan cuisine with its rich flavors and nourishing qualities.
Required Ingredients
- Chickpeas (soaked overnight and peeled)
- Lentils
- 1 onion, cut into small cubes
- 2 tomatoes or tomato sauce
- Tomatoes paste
- Chopped coriander, celery and parsley
- Salt, pepper, turmeric, and ginger
- 150g of Flour
- Vermicelli or Rice
- Vegetable oil
Optional Ingredients
- Small pieces of meat
Cooking Instructions
- In a pot, brown the pieces of meat and onion with oil, salt, and pepper.
- After 5 minutes, add the chopped parsley, coriander, celery, turmeric, and ginger.
Please note that meat is optional so if you don't use it just do the 2 steps above without it.
- Add tomato sauce and tomato paste, and mix everything.
- Add a liter and a half of the water and leave on the fire for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, prepare the flour and water mixture with warm water and flour.
- Take a bowl and pour a half-liter of warm water into it (add more water if you feel like the mixture is getting thicker).
- Gradually add flour to it and use a hand blender to make cream-like consistency
The mixutre should look something like in the next picture
Adding the mixture to thicken the soup
- After the 40 minutes of cooking, thicken the soup to a silky, cream-like consistency by gradually adding the Tedouira (flour and water mixture), stirring constantly to ensure that it’s well blended. Use only as much as is needed to make the soup as thick as you like.
- Add the vermicelli and stir the soup again.
- Cook for another 20 minutes.
Notes
- The quantity of chickpeas, rice, and vermicelli depends on you.
- If you don't use meat pieces, turn just the onion cubes at the very beginning.
- If you don't have tomatoes, you can grate the two tomatoes yourself to make it.
- To make the flour and water mixture, use a hand mixer and a bowl, pour the flour, and keep adding water and mixing.
- When adding the flour mixture, keep stirring at the same time.
