North African Harira Soup (Printable)

A savory tomato broth with chickpeas, lentils, and warming spices for cozy, flavorful meals.

# What You Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 2 cups canned, drained and rinsed)
02 - 1/2 cup dried lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 medium carrots, diced
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 can (14 oz) chopped tomatoes
09 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
10 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

→ Spices

11 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
15 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
16 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Liquids

18 - 6 cups vegetable broth
19 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Sweet & Savory Touch

20 - 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
21 - Juice of 1 lemon

→ Optional Garnishes

22 - Lemon wedges
23 - Extra cilantro or parsley
24 - Cooked vermicelli or rice

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots; sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and all spices; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Then add chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, and dried apricots; mix thoroughly.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 50 minutes until legumes are tender.
05 - Stir in chopped cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Add cooked vermicelli or rice for a more substantial dish, if desired.
07 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot, garnished with extra herbs and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's naturally vegan-friendly and actually tastes richer than most meat soups, which surprises everyone who tries it.
  • The sweetness from apricots and warmth from cinnamon create an unexpected flavor that makes you want another spoonful immediately.
  • One pot, about an hour, and your kitchen smells like you've been cooking all day—instant cozy.
02 -
  • Dried chickpeas need overnight soaking or they'll take forever to soften and you might end up with a pot of rock-hard beans; canned are genuinely a good shortcut without guilt.
  • Don't oversalt the soup until the very end because the broth and tomato paste already contain salt, and you don't want to discover it's too salty once you've finished cooking.
  • The soup actually tastes better the next day or even two days later as the spices and flavors meld together, so making it ahead is a gift to your future self.
03 -
  • Don't rush the initial sauté of the vegetables; those six to eight minutes are when they release their natural sugars and create a sweeter, more rounded base for everything else.
  • If your broth is store-bought, taste it first because some brands are quite salty, and you might need less added salt than you think.
  • Freshly ground spices make an enormous difference here, especially the cinnamon and cumin, so if you have whole spices and a grinder or mortar and pestle, this is a good moment to use them.
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