Algerian Harira Soup

About This Recipe

Harira is the most important soup in North African cooking, eaten daily in Algeria and Morocco especially during Ramadan when it is the dish that breaks the fast at iftar. The Algerian version is slightly different from the Moroccan: it uses more tomato, often includes more lamb, and the spice profile leans more toward cumin and coriander than Moroccan harira's ras el hanout. The soup is thickened at the end with a mixture of flour and water (tedouira), which gives it a silky, slightly starchy body. A squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro finishes it. Harira is almost always served with Algerian bread (khobz) or dates during Ramadan.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 200 glamb or beef(diced small)
• 150 gred lentils(rinsed)
• 1 tin (400g)chickpeas(drained)
• 400 gtinned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 2celery sticks(finely diced)
• 3garlic cloves(minced)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground coriander
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 0.5 tspcinnamon
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1.5 litreswater
• 80 gthin vermicelli or angel hair pasta(broken into 3cm pieces)
• 2 tbspplain flour(mixed with 4 tbsp cold water for tedouira)
• 3 tbspfresh cilantro(chopped, to finish)
• 3 tbspfresh parsley(chopped, to finish)
• 1lemon(juice, to finish)
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Sauté base

   Heat olive oil in a large pot. Fry onion, celery and meat 8 min until softened and meat is no longer pink. Add garlic and all spices, stir 1 min.

2. 2

   Add tomatoes and lentils

   Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils and water. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then simmer 30 min.

3. 3

   Add chickpeas and pasta

   Add chickpeas and vermicelli. Simmer 10 min.

4. 4

   Thicken with tedouira

   Stir the flour-water slurry into the soup while stirring constantly. Simmer 5 min until the soup thickens to a silky, slightly starchy consistency.

   The tedouira must be stirred in gradually and the soup must be simmering — adding it all at once can cause lumping.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Add lemon juice, cilantro and parsley. Taste and adjust salt. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread or dates.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian: omit meat — the lentils, chickpeas and tomatoes provide ample protein and flavour

• •

  Add a cinnamon stick and a bay leaf to the broth for additional depth

• •

  Moroccan harira uses a smaller amount of tomato and more saffron

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Keeps 4 days refrigerated. Thickens considerably — add water when reheating. Freezes well for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions