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- Cuisine: Moroccan
- Prep Time: 20 min(s)
- Cook Time: 1 hr(s)
- Serves 6-8
This traditional soup is eaten to break the fast of Ramadan. Chef Hassan M’Souli’s recipe is a vegetarian version of harira soup, but if you like meat you can add lamb, chicken or beef. In Morocco, harira soup is served with a bowl of fresh dates. While this may seem unusual, the combination is delicious. Hassan advises not to skip soaking the chickpeas overnight, as it will ensure their tenderness.
Ingredients
½ cup olive oil1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 onions, diced
2 bay leaves
2 sticks celery, diced
1L vegetable stock
200g chickpeas, soaked overnight
200g dried brown lentils
Pinch saffron threads
1 tbsp saffron colouring
1 tbsp sweet paprika
½ red chilli, finely diced
1 tbsp ground cumin
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
5 tbsp plain flour
Juice of 1 lemon
800g crushed canned tomatoes
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 bunch coriander, chopped
150g vermicelli pasta
Croutons or hot crusty bread, to serve
fresh dates, to serve
Preparation
Heat oil in a large pot and fry the ginger, garlic, onions, bay leaves and celery until they soften.
Add 2 cups of stock and chickpeas and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the lentils, saffron threads and colouring, sweet paprika, chilli, cumin, salt, pepper and the remaining stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
In a heatproof bowl, gradually mix 2 cups of water with flour and add lemon juice and tomatoes. Place the bowl over the steaming pot, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.
Add the parsley and coriander to the bowl, then add the mixture to the soup, stirring constantly.
Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vermicelli and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Garnish with coriander and serve with croutons or hot crusty bread.
Serve with dates on the side.
If you enjoyed this Harira soup recipe then browse more Moroccan recipes, soup recipes, vegetarian recipes, lactose-free recipes, vegetarian recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.
Moroccan Restaurants
Displaying 10 of 55 Moroccan Restaurants.
| Restaurant | Book Online | Suburb | |
| 1. | Builders Arms Hotel, bandroom | Fitzroy | |
| 2. | Moroccan Soup Bar | Fitzroy North | |
| 3. | African Feeling | Newtown | |
| 4. | Alhambra | Manly | |
| 5. | Out of Africa | Manly | |
| 6. | Kazbah On Darling | Balmain | |
| 7. | Cafe Mint | Surry Hills | |
| 8. | Sumac | Sydney | |
| 9. | Little Moorish Restaurant | East Perth | |
| 10. | Veritas Restaurant | Highgate |
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