Harira: North African Vegetable Soup-Stew

Harira is a thick, filling soup-stew made with chickpeas, red lentils, brown rice and vegetables. Harira is scented with a bunch of spices like turmeric, dried ginger, cumin and cinnamon, which add depth and a distinctly aromatic flavor.

Harira originated in Morocco.

Muslims eat harira during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the holy month of fasting.

Because they can’t eat (and drink) anything between the dawn and sunset, harira is the perfect, fortifying dish: high in protein and packed with nutrients.

Harira ingredients are simple and easy to find:

You can make harira in one pot and in less than an hour. You’ll love how comforting it is and versatile.

There are many versions of harira—mine happens to be vegetarian, originally adapted from two different recipes, and tweaked over the years to my taste.

Some cooks serve it with hard-boiled eggs, and sprinkled with dried fruit such as figs and dates.

All you need is one big pot

1. You’ll cook the onion, celery and carrot in olive oil, then add all the spices.
2. Then you’ll add the tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, rice, and stock. All done in 50 minutes.

How do you serve Harira?

It’s delicious as is, but I topped it with saurkraut I made from red cabbage and carrots, and crème fraiche.

You could also stir in a tablespoon of Harissa, a spicy Moroccan paste, to give it an extra kick.

Like to throw everything in one pot and let it cook? Try these:

Vegan Heirloom-Bean Chili
Kitcheri
Chickpea Tomato Curry

Now you.

Have you been to Morocco? What’s your fave stew?

Tell me in the comments.

Harira: North African Vegetable Soup-Stew

• Author: Michal Martinek
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
• Cuisine: Moroccan

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Description

North African soup-stew made with chickpeas, brown rice, red lentils and vegetables. Scented with aromatic spices. Great vegan weeknight dinner.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped, peeled yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
• ½ cup finely chopped, trimmed celery (about 1 large celery stalk)
• ½ cup finely chopped, peeled carrot (about 2 small carrots)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon dried ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 15-ounce can (411 g) diced tomatoes with their juices
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can cooked chickpeas
• ½ cup dried red lentils, rinsed
• ½ cup brown rice, rinsed
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup finely chopped, fresh parsley
• White yogurt to serve (optional)
• Fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut to serve (optional)

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Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, celery and carrot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the turmeric, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes with their juices, chickpeas, lentils, rice, and vegetable stock. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, keep covered, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soft and thickened, about 50 minutes.
5. Turn the heat off and stir in the parsley. Taste and add more salt and/or black pepper to taste.
6. Serve with the yogurt and fermented vegetables.
7. Store the harira in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

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Keywords: Harira