This Moroccan Harira Soup is the perfect warming detox recipe. It’s completely vegetarian and vegan, but filling thanks to red lentils, chickpeas, and loads of veggies like broccoli, carrots, and parsnips. It’s so packed with robust, healthy ingredients that it doubles as an anti-inflammatory stew.
When she was in her twenties, my mother lived in Morocco, which had a huge impact on her cooking skills. Growing up, their baked fish with pickled lemons, kefta tagine, and lots of hearty soups like this Harira recipe were among my comfort foods.
Harira soup is a Muslim staple for breaking the daily fast during Ramadan. It’s usually packed with legumes like red lentils and chickpeas, and often includes meat and broken spaghetti noodles in the rich tomato broth. In other words, it’s a kitchen sink soup that’s made ahead of time, easily reheated after dark or before sunrise, and packed with protein and fiber sure to keep you full for a long day of fasting.
Author Joan Nathan writes that Harira has also become part of the Moroccan Jewish tradition of breaking the fast on Yom Kippur!
I usually turn to Harira when I need to clean out my vegetable drawer or need a simple detox soup that’s easy to digest. As I explained in this recipe for the Indian detox staple kitchari, lentils and chickpeas are easiest to digest when cooked into a mash and added to a mononutrient meal. For that reason, I kept this Moroccan Harira Soup meatless, with plenty of winter veggies like broccoli, parsnips, and carrots to spice up the meal. It’s based on a vegan Harira I developed for Tasting Table almost 10 years ago!
You can use any type of lentils in this harira, but I especially love red lentils because they cook quickly and only take 15 to 20 minutes to get a mushy consistency. If you need more red lentil recipes, you can see other incarnations in this other super comforting Moroccan Red Lentil Soup Recipe and also in this Red Lentil Curry.
What else can I add to this Moroccan Harira Soup?
In terms of veggies, a leafy green would also be delicious in this detox soup. You can add chopped kale, Swiss chard, or spinach toward the end of cooking—even frozen leafy greens work well. If broccoli isn’t your thing, you can substitute cauliflower, although I love the green touch it adds. You can also add shredded cabbage to the carrots and parsnips. It’s not traditional at all, but I love using it in my detox recipes.
If you don’t want to keep this Moroccan soup vegan, you can start this recipe by searing a pound of ground chicken or turkey before adding the carrots. Red meat is more traditionally used in Harira, but since I don’t have a pressure cooker, I prefer a leaner protein when experimenting at home. Chicken thighs also work well if you want to make it more of a Moroccan stew. And if you’re a lamb fanatic, you’ll love this Moroccan Lamb Chili Recipe.
What can I serve with Harira Soup?
This is truly a meal in a pot, so you can enjoy Harira soup as is, with no additives. If my gut feeling agrees, I eat a side salad. Sometimes I garnish it with half a diced avocado because it complements the cilantro and lemon so well. A dollop of plain Greek yogurt works even if you’re not dairy-free. Finally, when not enjoying this soup as a detox recipe, I like to add some extra spiciness to the spice mix with some hot sauce, chilli crunch, or cayenne pepper.
For more cozy, healthy ideas this time of year, try these other Gluten Free Soup Recipes or this Winter Beet Detox Soup!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Moroccan Harira Detox Soup
This Moroccan Harira Soup is the perfect warming detox recipe. It’s completely vegetarian and vegan, but filling thanks to red lentils, chickpeas, and loads of veggies like broccoli, carrots, and parsnips. It’s so packed with robust, healthy ingredients that it doubles as an anti-inflammatory stew.
portions 4
ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium carrots finely chopped
- 2 medium parsnips finely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea-salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon Cinammon
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- A 15-ounce can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 Cup dried red lentils
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 Small-headed broccoli cut into small florets (about 2 cups)
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ Cup finely chopped coriander leaves
instructions
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In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the carrots, parsnips, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.
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Stir in the garlic, cumin, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is fragrant, 1½ to 2 minutes.
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Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Stir in the chickpeas and lentils. Pour in the broth, stir up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes until just tender (they will continue to cook without heat).
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Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and half the coriander. Serve sprinkled with the remaining coriander.
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