This delicious Moroccan Harira Soup with Lamb and Chickpeas is the national soup of Morocco. It is a thick tomato-based soup where tender lamb, chickpeas, and lentils cook together with fresh herbs and warm spices.
During Ramadan it is on almost every Moroccan table at sunset, served with dates on the side. One bowl is a complete meal, and it tastes even better the next day.
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Everything cooks in one pot, and the soup mostly looks after itself while it simmers. It leaves you free to get on with the rest of the evening.
Serve this chickpea, lamb, and lentil soup with Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi and a few lemon slices for a weeknight dinner the whole family will eat happily.
Also, this soup is easily adaptable. You can omit the lamb and transform this flavorful dish into a vegetarian or vegan-friendly alternative.
What is Harira?
The name harira comes from the Arabic word harir, which means silk, after the soup’s smooth, velvety texture. Traditionally that silkiness comes from tadouira, a thin flour and water mixture whisked in near the end of cooking. In this recipe the lentils and vermicelli do that job on their own.
During Ramadan, harira is how most Moroccan families break their fast, ladled out at sunset, often with sweet chebakia pastries alongside. It is not only a Ramadan dish though. Moroccans eat it all year round, and every home has its own version.
Why This Recipe Works
- Lamb, lentils, and chickpeas cover all the bases in one pot: savory meat, hearty beans, and earthy lentils.
- The secret behind the aromatic twist lies in the blend of cumin, coriander, ginger, and cinnamon.
- Tomato paste and passata not only add a red hue but also bring a sweet and tangy kick, balancing out the savory notes.
- It is a forgiving recipe. Swap the pasta shape, use your favorite stock, or skip the meat entirely. Your kitchen, your call.
- A sprinkle of herbs and a squeeze of lemon just before serving is the final touch, making every bite vibrant.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Lamb - Quality cuts for slow cooking are usually well-exercised muscles rich in collagen, such as the shank, shin, or shoulder.
- Chickpeas - I personally opt for dry chickpeas in this recipe, though canned chickpeas work just as well. Just drain them and add to the stew once the lamb reaches that tender, falling-apart stage.
- Stock - I personally like using Homemade Beef Stock, but Basic Homemade Vegetable Stock or Chicken Bone Broth works just as well. If you don't have any stock on hand, stock cubes are a good alternative. Just watch the salt, since ready-made stocks and stock cubes already contain it.
- Tomato passata - It is pureed strained tomatoes and are usually sold in bottles. You can use finely blitzed fresh tomatoes instead.
- Tomato paste - It brings a savory kick and a lovely red color to your dishes. You can grab it from Turkish or Middle Eastern stores, or just order it online.
- Green lentils - A kitchen essential in Turkish and Mediterranean cooking, perfect in soups and salads, or folded into Mujadara. If you don't have green lentils on hand, brown lentils work as a swap.
- Spices - I use warm Middle Eastern spices such as ground black pepper, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and coriander.
How to Make Harira Soup?
Soak the dry chickpeas in plenty of water overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours. Drain and set aside.
In a large heavy-based pot or a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the pot is hot, sear the diced lamb in batches so every piece browns evenly instead of steaming.
Reduce the heat, add the onions along with celery, and sauté until they get a nice, slight browning.
Then, toss in the chopped garlic. Add 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder.
Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes.
Pour in the tomato passata or pureed strained tomatoes, and let it simmer for a few minutes. Next, add the stock, soaked chickpeas and washed and drained green lentils.
Give them a good stir, cover the pot and gently simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the lamb and chickpeas are softened. Add the pasta, stir well, and cook for further 15 minutes, or until the pasta soften.
Adjust the seasoning if needed, garnish with chopped parsley or coriander. Ladle the Moroccan Harira Soup into bowls and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Dried chickpeas are the best option as they absorb all the flavors while cooking with lamb and all the seasonings. Soak them overnight before cooking.
- Before you begin cooking, chop and measure your ingredients. It'll make the whole cooking process smoother and help you manage everything as you go.
- Caramelize the meat well for an extra layer of richness in the soup. Avoid overcrowding the pan, and do it in batches if necessary.
- A good homemade stock is the backbone of most soups and stews, and this one is no different. Use the best stock you have.
- I do not recommend substituting green lentils with red lentils, as the latter tends to become mushy and change the traditional texture of the soup.
- Let the Harira soup gently simmer. This slow-cooking technique lets the flavors blend, resulting in a tastier and heartier soup.
- Like many soups, Moroccan Harira often tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld.
Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Instructions
For the slow cooker, sear the lamb and sauté the onions, celery, and garlic in a pan first. That browning is where the flavor comes from, so don’t skip it. Move everything except the vermicelli into the slow cooker, pour in the stock, and cook on low until the lamb and chickpeas are tender. Stir in the vermicelli about 20 minutes before serving.
For the Instant Pot, brown the lamb and vegetables right in the pot on the sauté setting, then pressure cook until the lamb is tender. Release the pressure, switch back to sauté, and simmer the vermicelli in the soup for a few minutes until cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving, as slow cooking softens the spices.
Add the vermicelli near the end of cooking, whichever appliance you use, so it stays springy instead of turning mushy. Check the seasoning before serving, as slow cooking softens the spices.
What to Serve with Moroccan Harira Soup?
This deliciously rich soup is traditionally served during Ramadan with dried dates or figs and a sweet pastry called Chebakia.
You can also serve Harira with Bazlama, Pita Bread, or Bullet Naan for scooping.
A bowl of fresh salad such as Persian Shirazi Salad or Gavurdagi Salatasi (Turkish Tomato Walnut Salad) balances the richness of the soup.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, and transfer the soup to an airtight container. You can store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Gently reheat the soup in a pot on the stovetop over low heat. The soup thickens as it sits in the fridge, so add a splash of water or stock to loosen it. Harira is also a good soup to make a day ahead, since the flavors deepen overnight.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Drain and rinse them well, and add them later in the cooking, since they only need to heat through. Dried chickpeas soaked overnight still give the best texture.
Not as written, because of the pasta. Swap it for gluten-free pasta or rice, and check the label on your stock. The rest of the soup is naturally gluten-free.
Rich and gently spiced. The tomato broth carries cumin, ginger, and cinnamon, the lamb makes it meaty, and the lentils and chickpeas give it body. It is warming rather than hot.
Yes. Diced beef works well and needs a similar cooking time until tender. In Morocco the soup is also made with veal.
Related Recipes
For more delicious and hearty soup recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious, warming, and healthy Moroccan Harira Lamb and Chickpeas Soup as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Harira Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lbs lamb (small diced) (450 grams)
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 1 stick celery (finely diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ¾ cups tomato passata (400 grams)
- 5 ½ cups vegetable stock or chicken stock (1300 ml)
- ¾ cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight) (150 grams)
- ½ cup green lentils (washed and drained)
- ⅓ cup vermicelli, ditalini or orzo pasta
- chopped parsley or coriander (to garnish)
- lemon wedges (to serve)
Instructions
- Soak the dry chickpeas in plenty of water overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours. Drain and set aside.
- In a large heavy-based pot or a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Sear the diced lamb in batches to ensure equally golden-brown meat.
- Reduce the heat, add the onions along with celery, and sauté until they get a nice, slight browning. Then, toss in the chopped garlic.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Pour in the tomato passata or pureed strained tomatoes, and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Next, add the stock, soaked chickpeas and washed and drained green lentils.
- Give them a good stir, cover the pot and gently simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the lamb and chickpeas are softened.
- Add the pasta, stir well, and cook for further 15 minutes, or until the pasta soften.
- Adjust the seasoning if needed, garnish with chopped parsley or coriander.
- Ladle the Moroccan Harira Soup into bowls and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Dried chickpeas soaked overnight give the best texture and soak up the flavors as they cook. Canned chickpeas work too: drain, rinse, and add them later in the cooking.
- Chop and measure everything before you start. The early steps move quickly.
- Caramelize the lamb well, in batches, for a richer soup. A crowded pan steams the meat instead of browning it.
- Good stock makes a real difference. Use homemade if you have it, and watch the salt with store-bought.
- Stick with green lentils. Red lentils turn mushy and change the texture of the soup.
- Let the soup simmer gently rather than boil. Slow cooking is what blends the flavors.
- Add the pasta near the end so it doesn't overcook.
- For a vegetarian or vegan version, skip the lamb and use vegetable stock.
- Storage: cool completely and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of water or stock when reheating. It tastes even better the next day.
Phoebe Hedges says
It is such a flavorsome recipe. The whole family loved it!
Mary Monica Warren says
Very tasty. Tastes very Greek. This makes ten 1-cup servings.