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Restaurants›Casablanca | Moroccan Cuisine›Harrira Soup Recipe

Harrira Soup Recipe

Name: Casablanca | Moroccan Cuisines Harrira Soup Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 1 cups brown or green lentils; 1 cups chickpea (canned, drained) or cooked chickpeas; 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth; 1 cups water; 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cups yellow onion, finely diced; 2 tbs celery stalks, finely diced; 1 cups carrot, grated or small dice; 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced; 3 tbs tomato paste; 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes; 3 tbs all-purpose flour; 1 cups cold water (for flour slurry); 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground ginger; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 0.25 tsp saffron threads, lightly toasted and crushed; 1.5 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.75 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped; 0.5 cups fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), finely chopped; 2 tbs lemon juice; 0.5 cups vermicelli or small pasta (broken); 2 each hard-boiled eggs (halved) - optional

Inspired by Casablanca | Moroccan Cuisine

Time1h

Serves4

Lentils in tomato broth, saffron, spices, parsley and cilantro

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Ingredients

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Broth & legumes

1 cups brown or green lentils

1 cups chickpea (canned, drained) or cooked chickpeas

6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 cups water

Aromatic base

3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 cups yellow onion, finely diced

2 tbs celery stalks, finely diced

1 cups carrot, grated or small dice

4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced

Tomato & thickener

3 tbs tomato paste

14 oz canned crushed tomatoes

3 tbs 00 bread flour

1 cups cold water (for flour slurry)

Spices & flavoring

1 tsp Ground cumin

1 tsp Ground ginger

1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp saffron threads, lightly toasted and crushed

1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Herbs & finishing

3/4 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cups fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), finely chopped

2 tbs ReaLemon lemon juice

Optional garnish / add-ins

1/2 cups vermicelli or small pasta (broken)

2 each hard-boiled eggs (halved) - optional

Method

Prepare legumes & saffron

Rinse and soak lentils

Rinse lentils under cold water and pick out any debris. No long soak is required for brown/green lentils; set aside to drain.

Bloom saffron

Place saffron threads in 2 tablespoons of warm water and let steep for 5–10 minutes to release color and aroma.

Make aromatic base

In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt and sauté 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent.

Add diced celery and grated carrot and cook 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Add tomatoes, spices & legumes

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw edge. Add crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.

Add cumin, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, salt and pepper; stir and cook 1 minute to bloom the spices.

Add rinsed lentils, drained chickpeas, broth and 1 cup water. Stir in saffron with its soaking liquid. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer.

Simmer & thicken

Simmer uncovered for 25–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender but not falling completely apart. If using small pasta/vermicelli, add it in the last 8–10 minutes of cooking so it cooks through without turning mushy.

While soup simmers, prepare the flour slurry: whisk the 3 tablespoons flour into 1 cup cold water until smooth with no lumps. Once lentils are cooked and soup has a steady simmer, gradually whisk 1/2 cup of the hot soup liquid into the slurry to temper, then slowly stir the tempered slurry back into the pot. Continue simmering 5–8 minutes until broth thickens slightly and loses raw flour taste. If you prefer thinner, add additional broth or water to adjust.

Finish & serve

Stir in chopped parsley, cilantro and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and more lemon if desired. If using hard-boiled eggs, halve and add to bowls as garnish.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra chopped herbs and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve hot with crusty bread or thin flatbread.