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    You are here: Home » soup » Moroccan Harira Soup

    Moroccan Harira Soup

    February 10, 2016

    Moroccan Harira Soup Recipe - Vegan Family Recipes #healthy #glutenfree #dinner
    I first fell in love with Moroccan Harira Soup at this small Moroccan restaurant in Frankfurt. What really fascinated me about Moroccan harira soup is that it packs such an immense amount of flavor with such simple ingredients.

    So, What exactly is a

    If you're in the mood for a tasty and filling soup that will transport you straight to Morocco, then you need to try Moroccan Harira Soup! This traditional dish is packed with all sorts of delicious ingredients, like lentils, chickpeas, and tomatoes, as well as a blend of aromatic spices like cumin, paprika, and ginger. You might also find ingredients like onions, celery, carrots, and either lamb or beef in the mix.

    During the month of Ramadan, Moroccan families love to serve up this hearty soup with dates and bread as a main course or a starter before a larger meal. And the best part? It's enjoyed hot by people of all ages, so you can enjoy it any time you want a taste of Morocco. Whether you're breaking the fast or just looking for a tasty and satisfying soup, Moroccan Harira Soup is a perfect choice!

    Harira is a tomato-based soup that is found mainly in Morocco and Algeria. There, it is often eaten for breakfast and during Ramadan to break fasting.

    Traditionally Moroccan harira is made with beef sometimes lamb, chickpeas or lentils, celery, and tomatoes. Some recipes even include noodles. Spices are the real key though to this soup. Often times a combination of ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, cumin, and coriander is used.

    Harira is served with a wide array of garnishes. Almost always, lemon juice is added to the soup before serving or with lemon wedges so that guests can add the amount they would like. Fresh parsley or cilantro is a must. Sometimes cooked eggs are added or even dates for some sweetness.

    Moroccan Harira Soup Recipe - Vegan Family Recipes #healthy #glutenfree #dinnerMoroccan Harira Soup Recipe - Vegan Family Recipes #healthy #glutenfree #dinner
    For my interpreted and vegan version of a Moroccan Harira Soup, I added ingredients that I thought would work together the best. I also wanted a really easy recipe to make and a family friendly one. I might be biased but I think I nailed it.

    My boys loved it but mainly because they'll eat anything with chickpeas. Like this, and this, and this too :D My 4 year old (turning 5 this week!) also made sure to note that without adding lemon juice at the end, it just wouldn't taste right. I love how he's turning into a little food snob!

    Either way, this soup is loaded with a lot of fiber and protein thanks to all the chickpeas! We could all use some more of that ;)

    Moroccan Harira Soup Recipe - Vegan Family Recipes #healthy #glutenfree #dinner

    Moroccan Harira Soup Recipe - Vegan Family Recipes #healthy #glutenfree #dinner
    5 from 3 votes
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    Moroccan Harira Soup

    Harira soup is a traditional tomato based soup from Morocco and Algeria. I've adapted this soup to make it vegan, easy to make and kid friendly.
    Course Entree, Sides, Soup
    Cuisine gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Makes 10 servings
    Calories 318 kcal
    Author Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes.com

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 2 Onions diced
    • 4 cloves of Garlic minced
    • 4 Carrots peeled, diced
    • 3 large Celery Stalks sliced
    • 2 tablespoons Ground Ginger
    • 2 tablespoons Paprika
    • 2 tablespoons Turmeric
    • 2 tablespoons Cumin
    • 10 Saffron Threads ground - Optional (See notes!)
    • ¼ of a cup Tomato Paste
    • 1 cup Tomato Puree
    • 8 cups 2 L Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
    • 8 Roma Tomatoes roughly diced
    • 3 cups Chickpeas soaked and cooked or rinsed and drained from a can
    • Juice of 1 Lemon
    • Salt and Pepper to taste
    • Parsley

    Instructions

    1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot and add onions, garlic, carrots and celery, Cook for roughly 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ginger, parprika, turmeric, cumin and saffron to pot and cook for one more minute.
    2. Stir in tomato paste and puree, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
    3. Add cooked chickpeas to stock pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Add fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
    4. Serve soup hot with fresh parsley.

    Recipe Notes

    1.) Saffron can be expensive and sometimes hard to find. If you have some at home, then I encourage you to use it. Never add whole saffron threads when cooking. Grind the threads with a mortar and pestle first to allow the spices to come out. If you don't have any saffron, you can make the recipe without too. The taste will vary slightly but still be very delicious!

    Looking for a few other vegan soup recipes? Try any of these :)

    • Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
    • Creamy Almond Soup
    • Vegan Mushroom Leek Soup (Healthy & Low Cal)
    • Coriander Carrot Soup - Vegan & GF

    More Vegan Soup Recipes

    • Quick Red Lentil Chili (Protein-Packed!)
    • Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup (V, GF)
    • Vegan Potato Leek Soup w/ Whole Wheat Croutons
    • Healthy Potato Pea Soup
    Awesome Vegan Soups Cookbook - Vegan Family Recipes - Vanessa Croessmann

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jo from yummyvege says

      February 10, 2016 at 5:01 pm

      I love stews and i love morrocan food so this is perfect for me! Looks delicious

      Reply
    2. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

      February 10, 2016 at 9:02 pm

      This is such an interesting dish, I love the sound of it! It's fun to explore foreign cuisines, they combine foods and flavors I would never think of. And your son is so cute, he's going to have quite the palate when he grows up haha :D

      Reply
    3. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      February 11, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      O Vanessa, this is beautiful!!! Right up my ally with all the spices <3 The perfect light soup to warm you up and o so flavorful! Pinned <3

      Reply
    4. Linda @ Veganosity says

      February 11, 2016 at 2:58 pm

      Your boys are awesome! I love that they loved this soup. And how cute that your little guy realized the importance of the lemon. :) This sounds delicious, and I'd love some for breakfast right now. Savory is the best.

      Reply
    5. Mel @ avirtualvegan.com says

      February 11, 2016 at 4:00 pm

      This soup looks fantastic! Moroccan food is something I haven't really explored and I have always wanted to go there.
      I love all the flavours packed in here and the addition of lemon juice. Delicious!

      Reply
    6. Uma @ simple sumptuous cooking says

      February 11, 2016 at 6:15 pm

      Happy to know that like my daughter your boys also like chick peas. :) I loved your soup recipe!

      Reply
    7. Manali @ CookWithManali says

      February 11, 2016 at 6:51 pm

      Wow the soup sounds amazing Vanessa, I have never tasted a moroccan harira soup but now I really want to!

      Reply
      • Vanessa Croessmann says

        February 15, 2016 at 11:15 am

        Thanks, Manali! It's such an easy soup to make and packs a whole lot of flavor. Hope you get a chance to try it :)

        Reply
    8. Sophia @Veggies Don't Bite says

      February 12, 2016 at 6:18 am

      I've never had this kind of soup but it looks really hearty and flavorful!

      Reply
    9. dixya @ food, pleasure, and health says

      February 12, 2016 at 1:21 pm

      i love moroccan food in general..so seeing this soup, i cant wait to try it.

      Reply
      • Vanessa Croessmann says

        February 15, 2016 at 11:14 am

        I know, isn't Moroccan food the best? It has such great flavors :)

        Reply
    10. Kathy Hester says

      February 13, 2016 at 5:16 pm

      This soup is so enticing that I'm going into the kitchen right now to make it!

      Reply
      • Vanessa Croessmann says

        February 15, 2016 at 11:08 am

        Let me know how you like, Kathy!

        Reply
    11. Nicole says

      February 14, 2016 at 4:45 pm

      I've never had this soup before, probably because I've never seen it served Vegan anywhere. Now, I'm intrigued!

      Reply
      • Vanessa Croessmann says

        February 15, 2016 at 11:08 am

        Thanks Nicole. It's such a flavorful soup and it's a shame that it's too often served with meat. I like making it in big batches and then freezing it. :)

        Reply
    12. Sina @ Vegan Heaven says

      February 15, 2016 at 10:20 am

      Oh, this soup totally calls my name!! I love chickpeas! :-) No wonder your boys loved it! It looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Vanessa Croessmann says

        February 15, 2016 at 11:05 am

        Thanks, Sina! It really does taste amazing ;)

        Reply
    13. Wanda Lee says

      February 15, 2016 at 11:22 am

      Made this last night and it was perfect! Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Vanessa Croessmann says

        February 15, 2016 at 11:53 am

        I'm glad you liked the harira recipe, Wanda!

        Reply
    14. Nadine says

      February 15, 2016 at 5:05 pm

      Sounds amazing and I'm looking forward to making it tonight, but want to sub canned diced tomatoes. Do you have an idea of how many 14oz cans would be equivalent to the 8 Roma tomatoes?

      Reply
      • Vanessa Croessmann says

        February 15, 2016 at 6:31 pm

        Hi Nadine, I would guess somewhere between 1 and 2 cans. Maybe start off with one and then add more if you need it.

        Reply
    15. Gin says

      February 15, 2016 at 7:26 pm

      I've never had harira soup but it sounds delicious! The spices are right up my street!

      Reply
    16. Sasha Torkildson says

      April 03, 2016 at 7:17 pm

      The Roma tomatoes, are they fresh or canned? I am chopping veggies for this now and realized my question. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Vanessa Croessmann says

        April 03, 2016 at 7:28 pm

        Hi Sasha, I used fresh tomatoes for this. Let me know how it goes :)

        Reply
    17. Cap'n Dave says

      November 19, 2018 at 8:41 pm

      I do believe that I'll be making this tomorrow. It sounds positively WONDERFUL!!!

      AND I FOUND MY SAFFRON!! YAY!!! I thought I'd somehow lost it. I bought a big bag of it for mere pennies.

      For those who are looking, get Mexican saffron. Seriously, the taste isn't that much different and you'll wind up with so much for your dollar! Tampico brand is the one you can usually find the easiest, but if you can find a bag at a bazaar or farmer's market, GET IT! Trust me, it will last you a very long time and is just as good as the stuff they sell for $20 a gram! (Seriously, saffron is the 14th most expensive thing by weight in the world!)

      Reply

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    Vanessa Croessmann - Vegan Family Recipes - blog, author

    Hi, I'm Vanessa! Mom of 3, a financial planner, recipe developer, photographer, & author of Awesome Vegan Soups. I'm here to share with you my take on family food and show you just how delicious plant-based cooking and baking can be.

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