Vegetarian friendly Moroccan Harira soup
When travelling in Morocco, I love nothing more than a glorious bowl of harira. Restorative, warmly spiced and deeply comforting, it is the sort of soup that feels like a meal in itself. Traditional harira often contains lamb, but I have created this vegetarian version using chickpeas, red lentils and quinoa. It is hearty and full of flavour, with plenty of warming spice and a good squeeze of lemon to brighten everything at the end. Like so many good soups, this one is even better the following day. Make a generous batch and enjoy it for lunches and dinners, or freeze some for later.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 390kcal
Cost: $20
Equipment
- 1 Large saucepan
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 fine-mesh sieve or colander
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Ladle
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped or crushed
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo chilli flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 150 g red lentils rinsed and drained
- 100 g quinoa rinsed very well
- 1 long red chilli split lengthways but kept intact
- 400 g tin diced tomatoes
- 400 g tin chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1.5 litres good-quality vegetable stock plus a little extra if needed
- Sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- ½–1 Juice lemon to taste
To serve
- Natural yoghurt*
- Extra virgin olive oil
- A generous handful of fresh coriander roughly chopped
- Chopped dates optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrot and celery with a good pinch of salt and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not coloured.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, ginger and Aleppo chilli flakes. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for another 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously. This helps deepen its flavour.
- Add the red lentils, whole chilli, tomatoes, chickpeas and vegetable stock. Stir well and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer gently, partially covered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the rinsed quinoa and continue simmering for another 15–18 minutes, or until the quinoa and lentils are tender. Stir occasionally, particularly towards the end, as the lentils will begin to thicken the soup.
- Remove the whole chilli. Add a little extra stock or water if you would like a looser consistency.
- Season generously with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add the lemon juice gradually, tasting as you go. The lemon is important here — it should lift and brighten the spices without making the soup overtly sour.
- Ladle into bowls and finish with a spoonful of yoghurt, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and plenty of fresh coriander. Scatter with a few finely chopped dates if using.
- Omit the yoghurt, or use a plant-based yoghurt, to make the soup vegan.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 865mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2190IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 6mg