🍲 Harira

Name: Harira
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 250 g lamb, cut into small cubes; 150 g green or brown lentils, rinsed; 200 g chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 400 g cooked); 600 g tomatoes, grated, plus 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 large bunch fresh coriander (and parsley), chopped; 1 tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp oil, salt, about 2 litres water

Origin: Morocco

298kcal

per serving · 350 g

85kcal

per 100 g

18 gProtein5 g / 100 g

7 gFat2 g / 100 g

38 gCarbs11 g / 100 g

Harira is Morocco's beloved tomato-based soup of lentils, chickpeas and small pieces of lamb, perfumed with ginger, cinnamon and plenty of fresh coriander. It is hearty and velvety, somewhere between a soup and a stew, with a gentle warmth from the spices. It is traditionally served in bowls at sunset to break the Ramadan fast, often with dates on the side.

Diets

✓

No porkfor halal, the meat must be halal-slaughtered

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

Not vegetarianbecause of: lamb

Not veganbecause of: lamb

Contains glutenno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

Not keto11 g carbs per 100 g

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Gluten

What it is made of

lentilschickpeastomatolambcilantrogingercinnamon

Recipe

6 servings90 min

Ingredients

250 g lamb, cut into small cubes
150 g green or brown lentils, rinsed
200 g chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 400 g cooked)
600 g tomatoes, grated, plus 2 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large bunch fresh coriander (and parsley), chopped
1 tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp oil, salt, about 2 litres water

Method

In a large pot, brown the lamb with the onion, oil and spices for 5 minutes.
Add the soaked chickpeas, half the herbs and 1.5 litres water; simmer 45 minutes.
Add the lentils, grated tomatoes, tomato paste and salt; simmer 30 minutes more until the lentils are soft.
Stir in the remaining herbs and adjust thickness with water.
Serve hot, with lemon wedges and dates if you like.

How to make it lighter

Harira is naturally light per bowl; most extra calories come from what is served with it, so watch the sweets on the iftar table.
Use lean lamb and trim off visible fat.
Add more lentils and tomato and less meat for an even lighter pot.

History

Harira is a national dish of Morocco and is also eaten in Algeria; each region and family has its own version. It is above all the soup of Ramadan iftar, and it is also served at weddings and on cold winter evenings.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →