North African Harira Soup (Printable)

Savory North African tomato stew with chickpeas, lentils, spices, and fresh herbs for comforting warmth.

# What You Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 2 cups canned chickpeas, 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 ounces) 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

# How-To 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 garlic and all spices. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then stir in chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, and dried apricots until combined.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until legumes are tender.
05 - Stir in cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Add cooked vermicelli or rice if desired for a heartier dish.
07 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot, garnished with extra herbs and lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It fills your kitchen with a fragrance so inviting that people will follow their noses to the stove before you even call them to eat.
  • The combination of warming spices and subtle sweetness from apricots hits a comfort level that feels almost therapeutic on cold days.
  • It's naturally vegetarian, keeps beautifully in the fridge, and somehow tastes even better the next day when all the flavors have gotten to know each other.
02 -
  • Don't add the lemon juice until the very end—it can break down the vegetables if it sits in the pot too long, and you want that brightness to be the last thing that hits your palate.
  • The spice balance in harira depends on layering them together at the beginning; if you add them at different times, they never marry the way they should, and you'll taste them as separate notes instead of one harmonious blend.
  • If your chickpeas are still hard after an hour, your broth wasn't salty enough, or they weren't soaked properly; salt the broth generously from the start so the legumes actually soften.
03 -
  • Toast your dried spices in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding them to the pot—this small step wakes them up and makes the entire soup taste more intentional and alive.
  • If your soup ends up thinner than you wanted, don't panic; just mash some of the cooked chickpeas and lentils against the side of the pot with your spoon, which will thicken the broth naturally without needing flour or cornstarch.
Go Back