Moroccan Harira-Style Lentil Bowl

About This Recipe

Harira is Morocco's iconic soup, traditionally eaten to break the fast during Ramadan, built on a base of lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes and warming spices like cinnamon, ginger and turmeric. This bowl thickens that classic combination slightly less into a soup and more into a hearty spoonable bowl, keeping the essential flavors intact — the tomato-forward broth, the warmth of the spice blend, and the finishing squeeze of lemon that harira is known for.\n\nThe technique that gives harira its depth is building the base slowly: onion and celery cooked down first, tomato paste added and cooked until it darkens, then the warming spices bloomed briefly in the fat before any liquid goes in. Some traditional versions use a flour-and-water paste (tedouira) stirred in near the end to thicken the broth — this version relies on the lentils breaking down naturally instead, which is a common simplified home approach.\n\nFinish with a hefty squeeze of lemon and fresh cilantro right before serving — the acidity is what brings the whole spiced pot into balance.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 cupbrown or green lentils(rinsed)
• 1 can (15oz)chickpeas(drained)
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 2 stalkscelery(finely diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 can (28oz)crushed tomatoes
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspground ginger
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 5 cupsvegetable stock
• 1lemon(juiced)
• 0.5 cupfresh cilantro(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the base

   Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook 6-7 minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

2. 2

   Toast the tomato paste and spices

   Stir in tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes until it darkens slightly, then add cinnamon, ginger and turmeric and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. 3

   Simmer

   Add crushed tomatoes, lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and starting to break down.

   Stir occasionally, especially in the last 10 minutes — the lentils naturally thicken the broth and can catch on the bottom of the pot if left unattended.

4. 4

   Add chickpeas

   Stir in chickpeas and simmer 5 more minutes to heat through.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Off heat, stir in lemon juice and most of the cilantro. Taste and adjust salt, then ladle into bowls and top with remaining cilantro.

Variations

• •

  Add small pieces of cooked lamb or beef for a more traditional, meat-based harira, browning the meat with the onion at the start.

• •

  Stir in cooked vermicelli noodles in the last few minutes for the traditional harira texture served during Ramadan.

• •

  Add a pinch of saffron along with the other spices for a more festive, fragrant version.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; the soup thickens as it sits, so add water or stock when reheating. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions