Harira is the soup that breaks the Ramadan fast across Morocco — prepared every evening during the holy month and served with dates, chebakia (honey cookies), and hard-boiled eggs. But harira is not only a Ramadan dish. It is Morocco's everyday comfort food, available from street vendors from early morning, served with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, and a scatter of fresh herbs. Tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, celery, fresh coriander, parsley, and warm spices are the constants. Lamb or chicken are optional additions.
The Tedouira
Harira is thickened with a technique called tedouira — a paste of flour or cornstarch mixed with water and the tomato braising liquid, stirred into the soup in the last 15 minutes to give it the characteristic slightly thick, velvety texture that distinguishes it from a standard vegetable soup. Some versions use beaten egg instead of flour.
Serves 6 · Prep 15 min · Cook 50 min
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 400g canned tomatoes
- 150g red lentils, rinsed
- 400g canned chickpeas, drained
- 1.5 litres water or stock
- 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger
- Large bunch fresh coriander and parsley, chopped
- Tedouira: 2 tbsp plain flour mixed with 150ml water
- Juice of 1 lemon, salt
Method
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Cook onion and celery 8 minutes until soft.
- Add all spices. Cook 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Add lentils, chickpeas, and water. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat. Simmer 25 minutes until lentils are very soft.
- Stir in tedouira (flour-water mixture). Simmer 10 minutes until soup thickens.
- Add herbs and lemon juice. Season.
- Serve with lemon wedges, a drizzle of olive oil, and crusty bread.
Can I add meat to harira?
Yes — 300g lamb shoulder or chicken thigh pieces cooked with the onion from the start adds depth. Traditional versions include small pieces of lamb.
What makes harira different from a regular tomato lentil soup?
The tedouira thickening, the cinnamon and ginger in the spice base, and the large quantity of fresh herbs added at the end. The combination produces a distinctively Moroccan flavour profile.
How to serve harira traditionally?
With dates, hard-boiled eggs, and chebakia (honey and sesame cookies) — the traditional Ramadan combination that balances the savoury soup with sweetness.
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Storage and Reheating
Store refrigerated for up to 4 days — harira thickens considerably as the lentils and chickpeas absorb the broth overnight. Add water or stock when reheating to return to the original soupy consistency. The lemon and fresh herb garnish must always be added fresh when serving reheated portions.
Recipe Variations
- Lamb harira — add 200g of diced lamb shoulder with the onions and brown in olive oil before adding the aromatics — the traditional meat version
- Tomato-forward variation — increase the tomatoes to 600g and reduce the lentils to 60g for a thinner, more intensely tomato-flavoured harira closer to the coastal Moroccan style
- Adjust the fat — this recipe works equally well in ghee, lard, or grass-fed butter if extra virgin olive oil is unavailable. Each fat produces a slightly different flavour profile; extra virgin olive oil gives the most historically accurate result.
What to Serve With Harira
Harira is the soup served to break the Ramadan fast (iftar) across Morocco — eaten with a date and a honey-dipped chebakia (sesame and honey pastry) in the traditional sequence. Outside of Ramadan it is a complete meal on its own with a squeeze of lemon and crusty bread for dipping. A drizzle of fresh extra virgin olive oil over the bowl at the table is the finishing touch.
Is harira always made with olive oil?
Traditional Moroccan harira is cooked in olive oil or smen (fermented clarified butter). The olive oil version is the most common for everyday cooking; smen adds complexity for special occasions. Both are seed oil free.
Can I make harira in an Instant Pot?
Yes. Sauté the aromatics and lamb on the Sauté setting, add remaining ingredients, and cook on Manual High Pressure for 12 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Add the fresh herbs and lemon only after pressure release.
What is the difference between harira and other lentil soups?
The distinctive combination of chickpeas, lentils, tomato, vermicelli, and the smen or olive oil base sets harira apart. The fresh coriander and parsley stirred in at the end — not cooked with the soup — is a critical texture and flavour element that is not typical of lentil soups from other cuisines.
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