This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links that allow us to earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more info.
Harira is a traditional Moroccan soup of tomato, lentils, and chickpeas. Wonderfully fragrant with zesty seasoning, it often ranks high on lists of must-try Moroccan foods. It’s a popular offering in Moroccan homes and restaurants, and you can even find it sold as street food.
The name harira, derived from the Arabic word for silk, makes reference to the texture of the soup after it’s been thickened with either eggs or a tedouira of flour and water. The tedouira (thickener) sometimes includes yeast and may be left to ferment for a day or two.
Although harira is prepared year-round, it’s famously associated with Ramadan, when it’s likely to be served alongside chebakia and other traditional foods to break the fast. This tradition is so ingrained that many Moroccans consider a meal during Ramadan incomplete if harira isn’t on the table.
I share that sentiment. I’ve come to love and expect harira during Ramadan, and if I don’t have a bowl of this traditional soup after a day of fasting, something always seems to be missing even if I’ve had an otherwise satisfying meal.
As with so many Moroccan recipes, the way harira is made can vary dramatically from family to family. Beef, lamb, or chicken are typically added to flavor the stock; however, they can be omitted for a vegetarian version.
Some prefer harira light and mildly seasoned while others favor a thick, zesty soup that suffices as a hearty meal-in-a-bowl. The latter is my preference, no doubt influenced by my mother-in-law’s delicious version below, which she taught me to make long before I moved to Morocco.
Fragrantly seasoned with ginger, pepper, and cinnamon, it gets additional flavor and body from a robust quantity of fresh herbs: cilantro, parsley, celery, and onion. Rice or broken vermicelli is added as a filler.
Smen, a type of preserved butter, is an optional but recommended ingredient, as a little bit will add a pleasant layer of parmesan-like flavor.
The prep work for harira can be considerable; however, much of that work can be done in advance and the prepped ingredients put in the freezer for easy cooking at a later time.
If you plan to cook harira with any regularity, such as in Ramadan, then you may want to consider getting that prep work out of the way.
You can also make a large batch of harira and portion it out for freezing before thickening it. In this case, it’s best not to add rice since it can break down in texture. Plan to add broken vermicelli when reheating and thickening the defrosted soup.
Read through the directions for prepping ingredients for suggestions of what can be done ahead of time. A food processor will help simplify those steps.
Many Moroccans enjoy dates as an accompaniment to harira. And, if serving harira as a light supper, consider offering batbout or krachel on the side.


Moroccan Harira Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz. lamb, beef or chicken, diced
- 3 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- several soup bones (optional)
- 2 lbs soft, ripe tomatoes - (about 6 large)
- 1 handful dry chickpeas, soaked and peeled
- 2 handfuls dry green or brown lentils
- 1 large onion, grated
- 1 stalk celery (with leaves), chopped
- 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp smen (optional)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon - optional; see notes
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 3 tbsp tomato paste - combined with 1 or 2 cups water
- 3 tbsp uncooked rice OR broken vermicelli
- 1 cup flour - combined with 2 cups water
- lemon wedges and cilantro (optional) - for garnish
Instructions
Ahead of Time – Prep Ingredients
- Soak the chickpeas overnight. The next day, drain and peel them. This is easily done by pressing chickpeas one-by-one between your forefinger and thumb or by rubbing all of the chickpeas vigorously in a kitchen towel. (The prepped chickpeas may be be frozen until needed.)
- Pick through the lentils to remove any stones and debris; set aside until ready to use.
- Stew the tomatoes then pass them through a food mill to make a puree; discard the skins and seeds. Or, cut the tomatoes into quarters and process them, with or without skin, in a food processor until smooth. (The pureed tomatoes may be frozen until needed.)
- Grate the onion or process it to a thick pulp in a food processor. (The grated onion may be mixed with the pureed tomatoes and frozen until needed.)
- Wash the celery and finely chop it. Set aside. Remove and discard large pieces of stem from the parsley and cilantro. Wash the parsley and cilantro and leave to drain thoroughly before chopping finely by hand or in a food processor. (The chopped herbs may be mixed together and frozen until needed.)
Make the Soup
- In a 6-quart or larger pressure cooker or stock pot, brown the meat in the oil over medium heat. Add the soup bones, peeled chickpeas, pureed tomatoes, grated onion, spices, smen (if using) and 3 cups (710 ml) of water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook with medium pressure for 25 minutes (or simmer for 50 to 60 minutes).
- Add the lentils, tomato paste mixture, chopped herbs and 8.5 cups (2 liters) water. Bring to a boil and cover. Continue to step 3 or step 4.
- If planning to add rice, cook the soup with medium pressure for 30 minutes (or simmer for 60 minutes); add the rice, and continue cooking with pressure for another 15 minutes (or 30 minutes by simmering).
- OR if planning to add broken vermicelli, cook the soup with pressure for 45 minutes (or simmer for 90 minutes) before stirring in the broken vermicelli. Continue simmering for a few minutes until the vermicelli is tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Thicken the soup to a silky, cream-like consistency by gradually adding the tedouira (flour and water mixture), stirring constantly to ensure that it’s well blended. Use only as much as is needed to make the soup as thick as you like.
- Simmer the soup for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.
- Remove from the heat and serve.
Notes
- A skin will form on the soup as it cools. This can be stirred and blended back into the soup.
- When reheating the soup, use medium or low heat and stir frequently to avoid lentils sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
- If you’d like to freeze the soup, do so before adding the thickener and preferably before adding the rice or broken vermicelli. Allow it to cool completely before freezing. On the day of serving, thaw the soup over low heat then resume cooking from where you left off.
- Cinnamon is optional and can be omitted. While many Moroccan cooks use it when making harira, not everyone likes it. On a personal note, I do prefer harira with a small amount of cinnamon as indicated in the recipe. It’s very subtle and complementary to the overall flavor of the soup when used conservatively.
- Lemon wedges may be served on the side for those who like a squeeze of fresh lemon juice as a condiment for the soup. If desired, garnish with a little fresh parsley or cilantro.
- Blending the flour and water tedouira ahead of time will help ensure that it’s lump-free when adding it to the soup.
- To make gluten-free harira, you can use cornstarch, tapioca starch, or another substitute for the flour to thicken the soup at the end of cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate obtained from online calculators. Optional ingredients may not be included in the nutritional information.
About the Author
Christine Benlafquih is Founding Editor at Taste of Maroc and owner of Taste of Casablanca, a food tour and culinary activity business in Casablanca. A long time resident of Morocco, she's written extensively about Moroccan cuisine and culture. She was the Moroccan Food Expert for The Spruce Eats (formerly About.com) from 2008 to 2016.
sarah
Thursday 9th of January 2025
hi, just came back from morocco and was happy to find this recipe. i purchased some white curry as i was told it was used for this soup, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. are there recipes you use the white curry in?
Christine Benlafquih
Thursday 9th of January 2025
I'm not familiar with a white spice mix for harira, so I'm not sure what's in the mix that you bought. If you decide to try making harira, I suggest following the recipe as written.
Amal
Saturday 12th of October 2024
This was Divine! Love this recipe for Harira so much. Brought me back to my childhood when my Moroccan step mother used to make this during Ramadan. What a delicious treat. Thank you for sharing all these amazing recipes. I hope to try all of them! ❤️🙏🇲🇦😘👌
Christine Benlafquih
Saturday 12th of October 2024
Thank you, Amal!
Hmed
Thursday 3rd of October 2024
I have made this recipe 3 times now and it is fantastic! Almost identical to the one my grandma made.
The last time I made it, I decided to add a couple soup bones and something it caused the marrow to separate into small pieces and float. When I tasted a piece, it wasn't pleasant as it would be in a tagine for example. What did I do wrong? Was I supposed to remove the marrow?
Thank you again for this great recipe!
Hmed
Friday 4th of October 2024
@Christine Benlafquih, dont even know what kind of soup bone I bought as I live in Canada lol. It was definitely marrow, and it was in big pieces, it did not dissolve even after a pressure cook. Willgo to a Halala store next time. Btw, i did post the result on r/soup on reddit, and it was a hit :). You might have gotten more traffic on the page yesterday. Here is the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/soup/s/vcfcgCLDpn
Christine Benlafquih
Thursday 3rd of October 2024
Thanks for letting me know that you like the recipe! And that's a good question about the marrow. It should help make broths and soups more flavorful, and I was under the impression that the marrow dissolves into the broth. I'm wondering if it was indeed marrow that was floating in the harira...could it have been fat?
Chelle
Sunday 28th of April 2024
Thanks for the recipes! I went to Morocco last week and came home with spices and the desire to try cooking some of the delicious foods we ate in Marrakech. Today we used your recipes to cook harira, kefta and khoubz. We followed your instructions closely and everything came out delicious. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes - couscous with seven vegetables is up next. Thanks again!
Christine Benlafquih
Sunday 28th of April 2024
So glad you're having success with the recipes! Thanks for letting me know.
Megan
Tuesday 19th of March 2024
No cumin? This is as close to my mother in law's recipe I've found, but I know she puts in some cumin. Regardless, delicious!
Christine Benlafquih
Wednesday 20th of March 2024
No, I've never made harira with cumin. It could be a regional thing.