Traditional Moroccan Harira (Lentil & Chickpea Soup)

Follow these simple steps at home to make my Dad's traditional Moroccan Harira, a warming soup made to break fast during Ramadan in Morocco (Iftar). This homemade soup combines chickpeas, beef, or lamb stew meat, and rice. It's prepared stovetop, and takes just 45 minutes to prepare.

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A traditional Moroccan soup

This Moroccan chickpea soup is far from ordinary. It's packed with healthy ingredients and makes a delicious meal for breaking the fast during Ramadan.

Like many Moroccan recipes, it uses fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley, and dried spices like ginger to develop rich flavor.

If you enjoy this Iftar soup, be sure to try it with a loaf of Moroccan bread (Khobz), dates, and hard boiled eggs, for the full experience.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make this Moroccan Harira:

• garbanzo beans (soak overnight if using dried)
• 1 lb lamb or beef (stew meat cut into cubes) 
• olive oil
• yellow onion, minced
• minced cilantro
• minced parsley
• pepper
• salt
• ginger (ground)
• tomato puree
• water
• green lentils
• rice or vermicelli noodles
• cornstarch
• water

How to Make It

• If using dried garbanzo beans, soak in a bowl of water overnight.
• In a heavy bottomed soup pot, add diced lamb or beef, chopped onion, half of the cilantro & parsley, salt, pepper, ginger and olive oil. 
• Saute on medium high heat for 5-10 minutes or until the meat is browned and the onion translucent. 
• Drain the garbanzo beans and add to the pot with the tomato puree and water. Bring the liquid to a boil then cover, lower and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the garbanzos are cooked through. 
• In a small pot add lentils and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower to a simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside while you wait for the soup to be done. 
• Optional: In a small bowl mix together cornstarch and cold water until no clumps remain. Uncover the soup and mix in the cornstarch water slurry to thicken. 
• Finally, add rice, lentils and half of the remaining cilantro & parsley. Cook until the rice is done. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and enjoy! 

Storing Leftovers & Reheating Instructions

This Moroccan chickpea soup make wonderful leftovers. The flavors seem to develop and become even better after a day or two. Store any leftovers in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

Reheat with a splash of water to loosen the broth up in the microwave or on the stovetop.

This soup doesn't stand up well in the freezer.

What to eat with your soup 

Every family in Morocco has nuances and differences in how they break the fast with this Moroccan lentil soup, or what we call Iftar. 

In my family, the focus of the meal is the harira accompanied by dates, hard boiled eggs and traditional sesame honey cookies. Bonus points if you include some freshly baked Khobz (Moroccan bread).

The combination of the warm tomato based soup with sweet dates, hearty eggs and the decadent cookies is the perfect meal after a long day of fasting. I should know as I was always so determined to join my dad in Ramadan traditions (fasting included) as a kid. 

If you're enjoying this soup on any day of the year, it's wonderful when accompanied by other traditional Moroccan sides.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Classic Tomato Salad
• Lentil Salad
• Eggplant Salad
• Krachel Sweet Bread
• Honey Almond Briouat

Making it vegan/vegetarian

The trick to making this Moroccan lentil soup vegan/vegetarian couldn’t be any easier. 

Ready for it? 

Just leave out the meat. That’s it. That’s the trick. 

This recipe packs a ton of nutrition thanks to garbanzo beans, lentils, tomatoes, onion, olive oil and spices. It will be just as flavorful and delicious without it. 

A Tribute to My Dad

If there was ever a difficult post for me to write, it’s this one. This soup was the last meal my dad made for my husband and I the last time we saw him before he passed last November. It was one of his favorites.

My dad was always taking care of me. Whether it was making me delicious Moroccan recipes, teaching me how to cook them, or pushing me to buy that new camera I’d been dreaming about.

I think learning from him is what I will miss the most; being his daughter was the greatest privilege. Even as he cooked that last time for me, so full of life in our kitchen, he encouraged me to write down the recipe, take pictures and make notes about his technique and recipe. 

This isn’t just any ordinary recipe. This Moroccan harira is a traditional soup prepared annually during Ramadan to break the fast (Iftar) each night. My dad and I enjoyed it all year long. 

Because I was too busy enjoying his company to jot down his exact recipe (yes, I’m kicking myself), I have been relying on my broken French, Google translate and my saint of an Aunt in Morocco to bring this super special recipe to you.

So thanks to my Baba (my dad), for teaching me how to explore. I love you endlessly. 

Bismillah,

Salima

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