Soups & Stews

Serving

Harira (Moroccan Soup)

Name: Harira (Moroccan Soup)
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Soups & Stews
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 yellow onion, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 lb lamb or beef stew meat, cubed; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes; 6 cups beef or chicken broth; 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed; 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1/2 cup vermicelli noodles, broken; 2 tbsp chopped cilantro; 2 tbsp chopped parsley; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, mixed with water for thickening; lemon wedges, for serving

A fragrant Moroccan soup of lamb, lentils, and chickpeas spiced with turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon.

80 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

28 min prep

44 min cook

Contains common allergens

celery Wheat

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

7 steps

1
Heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté onion and celery until softened, about 6 minutes.
2
Add garlic and lamb and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
3
Stir in turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
4
Add diced tomatoes, broth, and lentils; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes until meat and lentils are tender.
5
Stir in chickpeas and vermicelli noodles and simmer 8 minutes.
6
Whisk the flour-water mixture into the soup to thicken slightly, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
7
Stir in cilantro and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and serve with lemon wedges.

Harira (Moroccan Soup) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Harira (Moroccan Soup) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

67/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 57

Budget-friendly 50

Great leftovers 93

Pantry-friendly 20

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

370

Calories

29 g

Protein

25 g

Carbs

17 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Harira is closely associated with Moroccan home cooking, especially the evening meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan. It is not just a lentil soup: the combination of legumes, meat, warm spices, herbs, noodles, and a final flour-based thickening gives it the body and rhythm of a full meal.

Listahan note

This version keeps harira approachable with canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, and a short spice list. The main priority is building a savory base, simmering until the meat and lentils soften, then thickening only at the end so the soup stays lively instead of heavy.

Technique cues

Brown the lamb or beef before adding broth so the soup has depth beyond the spices.
Add the vermicelli near the end. If it simmers too long, it will swell and turn the soup thicker than intended.
Lemon at the table matters here; the squeeze of acid sharpens the lentils, chickpeas, herbs, and warm spices.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Rinse the lentils, drain the chickpeas, and break the vermicelli while the onion and celery soften.
Make-ahead: Cook the soup through the lentil stage ahead of time, then add chickpeas, noodles, thickener, and herbs when reheating.
Leftover move: Thin leftovers with broth and add a fresh squeeze of lemon to bring back the bright finish.
Cleanup rhythm: Rinse the flour whisk and bowl right after thickening, then keep stirring the pot so the bottom stays clear.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Lamb or beef stew meat

Savory base

Purpose: Small cubes of stew meat give the broth a deeper, meal-like flavor as they simmer.

Handling: Cut pieces evenly and brown them in the pot before the liquid goes in.

Adaptation: Beef gives a familiar, sturdy flavor; lamb tastes more traditional and slightly richer.

Brown lentils

Body and substance

Purpose: Brown lentils soften into the broth while still keeping enough shape to make the soup hearty.

Handling: Rinse them well before adding, and simmer until tender before the noodles go in.

Adaptation: Green lentils can work but may take a little longer and stay firmer.

Chickpeas

Chunky legume texture

Purpose: Chickpeas add round, creamy bites that balance the softer lentils and small noodles.

Handling: Drain and rinse canned chickpeas so their canning liquid does not muddy the broth.

Adaptation: Cooked dried chickpeas bring a firmer bite if you already have them prepared.

Ground turmeric, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon

Warm spice backbone

Purpose: This trio gives harira its golden color, gentle heat, and subtle sweetness without making it taste like a curry.

Handling: Stir the spices into the hot oil and meat mixture for about a minute before adding liquid.

Adaptation: A small pinch of black pepper can round the ginger, but keep the cinnamon measured so it stays in the background.

Vermicelli noodles

Final starch

Purpose: Broken vermicelli gives the soup its familiar fine strands and helps make each spoonful feel complete.

Handling: Break the noodles before adding and stir so they do not clump at the bottom of the pot.

Adaptation: Small pasta shapes can stand in, but they will make the soup feel less delicate.

All-purpose flour, mixed with water for thickening

Silky thickener

Purpose: A flour-water mixture gives harira its lightly thickened finish without turning it into a puree.

Handling: Whisk it smooth before adding, then stir constantly for a couple of minutes so it cooks evenly.

Adaptation: Use less thickener for a brothier bowl or a little more for a stew-like texture.

Technique notes

Keep the simmer steady rather than hard-boiling; a rough boil can toughen the meat before it has time to soften.
Do not add the herbs too early. Cilantro and parsley taste fresher when stirred in at the end.
Season after the broth has reduced and the flour mixture has gone in, because both steps change how salty the soup tastes.

Ingredient swaps

Weeknight shortcut: Use smaller cubes of stew meat so they tenderize faster, and keep the simmer covered until the lentils are nearly done.
Broth direction: Beef broth makes the soup darker and deeper; chicken broth keeps it lighter and lets the spices read more clearly.
Brothier finish: Use half the flour-water mixture and add extra broth at the end if you want a looser soup.
Noodle timing: For leftovers with cleaner texture, cook the vermicelli separately and add it to each bowl.

Serve alongside

Khobz-style crusty bread
Date and orange salad
Carrot salad with cumin and lemon
Warm flatbread with olive oil
Moroccan mint tea
Sparkling water with lemon
Light black tea

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate cooled soup in a sealed container, keeping extra lemon wedges separate.
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water, stirring often because the noodles and flour continue to thicken.
Freeze without the vermicelli when possible; thaw overnight and add fresh noodles while reheating.

Equipment

Large heavy pot or Dutch oven
Wooden spoon
Whisk
Fine mesh strainer for rinsing lentils

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