Moroccan Soups Recipes | Lentil, Chick-pea, Kerouiya… Harira & More

The national soup is called “harira”, is one of the Authentic traditional Moroccan foods. Throughout the 30 days of Ramadan, each household prepares this heady, perfumed soup which scents the narrow alleys at sunset. It is eaten with dates or honey cakes (griouche, and almond briouats). In this post we’ll provide the best Moroccan soups recipes: lentil harira, Chick-pea and kidney-bean soup, Kerouiya harira, Wheat dchicha soup…

Traditional Moroccan soup recipe lentil harira

Lentil harira ingredients for 12 people. Cooking time 2 1/2 hours.

How to make moroccan lentil harira?

It is prepared in two different parts: 1) the stock: 2) the tédouira.

1) The stock (tka-taâ) approx 1 1/2 hours to cook)

• 250 g (9 oz) of diced mutton and veal
• 3 or 4 small bones with a very little meat on them
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) of rather small, whole onions
• 1/2 teaspoonful of saffron (half crushed saffron flowers and half prepared packet saffron)
• 1 heaped teaspoonful of pepper
• 1 piece of butter the size of a walnut
• 250 g (9 oz) of lentils
• Salt
• 1 1/2 litre (3 pts) of water for the stock

Cook the lentils in salted water, strain and sprinkle with the juice of a lemon. Put on one side.

Put the other ingredients to cook in a covered saucepan. Leave to simmer on a low heat after bringing to the boil. Take the onions out as soon as they are cooked so that they remain whole.

After about an hour, check that the meat is cooked and remove from the heat. Add the lentils and the onions.

Must Read: Moroccan cooking class | Things you must know before you start

2) Tédouira : about 1 hour’s cooking

• 1 bunch of coriander (kasbour)
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 1/2 kg (3 lbs 5 oz) of sieved tomatoes or one tin of tomato extract mixed with 1 litre
• (2 pts) of water
• 2 1/2 litres (5 pts) of water
• 3/4 of a teaglassful of lemon juice
• 1 piece of butter the size of a walnut
• 200 g (7 oz) of flour
• salt

Put the water on to boil with the sieved tomatoes, or the water and tomato extract mixture. Allow to boil for a quarter of an hour then add the stock from the lentils, the meat and the onions, etc., which should be left in the saucepan. Away from the heat add the flour mixed with 1 litre (2 pints) of water to the soup little by little, stirring briskly to avoid lumps. Put back on the heat and go on stirring gently until boiling point is reached. Add the finely chopped parsley and the coriander which has been rinsed and pounded in the mortar (mehraz) with sufficient salt for seasoning; together with 1 litre (2 pints) of water in the pot while stirring (The parsley and coriander can be chopped up in an electric mixer with a little water) Check the seasoning and remove from the heat when the soup is hot. Harira soup should be creamy but not thick.

N.B. The meat can be replaced with the offal of 3 or 4 chickens.

Chick-pea harira recipe

Harira ingredients for 12 people

• 2 tea-glasses full to the brim of chick-peas soaked overnight and peeled the next morning.
• 1/2 tea glassful of rice cooked separately in salt water.

Same soups recipes as for lentil harira except that the lentils are replaced by the chick-peas cooked directly in the stock. Add the rice when the soup is ready for eating.

Chick-pea and kidney-bean soup (dried and skinned)

Ingredients for 12 people

• 1 tea glassful of chick-peas soaked overnight and skinned the next moming.
• 1 tea glassful of dried kidney-beans
• 1/2 glassful of rice cooked in salt water

Add the kidney-beans and prepare as for lentil harira, cooking both the chick-peas and the kidney-beans directly in the stock. Vermicelli can be used instead of rice. In this case, it should be added to the soup to cook at the last moment.

Bidaouia harira

Moroccan soups recipes “Bidaouia harira”

Harira ingredients for 12 people.

How to make moroccan lentil harira?

Takes 2 1/2 hours to prepare in two different parts: 1) the stock; 2) the tédouira.

1. the stock (tka taâ) – 1 1/2 hours cooking time (approx.)

• 4 litres (7 pts) of water
• 1 bowl of chick-peas soaked overnight and skinned the next morning.
• 250 g (9 oz) of diced mutton or beef
• 1 finely chopped celery heart
• 1 bunch of hopped coriander (kasbour)
• 1/2 teaspoonful of cinnamon
• 1 piece of butter the size of a walnut
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 small bunch of parsley (chopped)
• 4 whole onions
• 1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of tomato pulp
• 1/2 teaspoonful of saffron (mixed prepared packaged saffron and crushed saffron flowers)
• 1 heaped teaspoonful of pepper salt
• 3 or 4 bones with a little meat on them.

Put all these ingredients to cook in a covered saucepan. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and leave to simmer gently. Take out the whole onions as soon as they are cooked. After about 50 to 60 minutes, check if the meat is done and, if so, take off the heat.

2. Tédouira : 1 hour’s cooking time (approx)

• 1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of tomatoes cut in quarters and passed through a vegetable sieve
• 1 bunch of coriander (kasbour)
• Juice of 3 lemons
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 tea glassful of vermicelli
• 1/2 tea glassful of noodles
• 200 g (7 oz) of flour

Put the sieved tomatoes in a saucepan, add the stock leaving the meat, kidney-beans, onions, etc., in the saucepan in which they were cooked. Leave the tomato juice to boil for a quarter of an hour. Take off the heat for a few minutes. Mix the flour with water and pour little by little into the stock, stirring briskly to avoid lumps. Put back over the heat and continue stirring gently. Bring to the boil, add the noodles and vermicelli bring back to boiling and then lower the heat. Then take the coriander off the stalks, wash and pour in a mortar (mahraz) with enough salt for the seasoning. Pour into the saucepan, stirring gently with a ladle. Add the lemon juice, the rest of the stock (Tédouira), the beaten egg, stir and check the seasoning. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat.

N.B. This bidaouia harira soup can be made with chick-peas, kidney-beans, lentils or all 3 together.

It is thicker than the traditional harira.

Kerouiya harira (caraway)

Ingredients of this Moroccan soups recipes harira for 8 people. Preparation and cooking time 1 hour.

• 3 litters (5 pts) of water
• 2 soup spoonfuls of cleaned and pounded caraway seeds
• 150 g (5 oz) of flour
• 1 bunch of mint (6 or 7 sprigs)
• 1/2 tea glassful of lemon juice
• 3 or 4 grains of gum-acacia (meska) pounded with the caraway seeds

Put the water on to boil, mix the flour with water, strain through a fine sieve and pour into the hot (not boiling) water, stirring briskly. Let it boil while stirring gently. Stalk the mint leaves, pound hard in a mortar (mehraz) with enough salt for the seasoning, dilute with a little water and pour into the pot. Add the caraway seeds and the gum-acacia, soaked in water. Bring to the boil, stirring gently. Should there be any lumps, pass through a fine sieve, away from the heat. Before serving, re-heat and add the lemon juice. This harira must be rich and creamy. It is used to accompany steamed sheeps heads.

Small diced vegetable soup

Ingredients for 8 to 10 people. Preparation time : 1 hour; cooking time about 1 hour

• 2 1/2 litres (5 pts) of water
• 250 g (9 oz) of carrots
• 2 turnips
• 1 finely sliced onion
• 4 or 5 small whole onions
• 250 g (9 oz) of potatoes
• 1 leek 1 stick of celery
• 250 g (9 oz) of meat diced small
• 2 or 3 small, fairly meaty mutton bones
• 3 or 4 sprigs of chopped coriander (kasbour)
• 1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of sieved tomatoes.
• 1 heaped teaspoonful of pepper
• 1 coffeespoonful of crushed saffron flowers and prepared packet saffron mixed
• 1 knob of butter the size of a walnut.

Cut the vegetables (carrots, turnips, celery and leek) into small cubes, wash and place in a saucepan with the meat and the bones. Season with the pepper, salt and saffron, add the butter and cover with 2 liters (4 pints) of water. Bring to the boil and leave to cook with the lid on for about 1 hour before adding the diced potatoes, the sieved tomatoes and chopped coriander. When the potatoes are cooked, gradually sprinkle the vermicelli and simmer for a few minutes. Check the seasoning and remove from the heat.

Moroccan soups recipes of Marrakchia harira (without meat)

Harira ingredients for 8 people. Cooking time 1 hour

• 3 liters (5 pts) of water
• 1 glassful of dried, skinned kidney-beans
• 1 soup spoonful of khlii fat or a soup spoonful of oil
• 150 g (5 oz) of flour
• 1/2 tea glassful of rice cooked separately in a little salt water
• 1 level teaspoonful of paprika (sweet pepper)
• 1 pinch of crushed hot pepper-chilli – (optional)
• 1 small bunch of coriander (kasbour)
• salt

Wash the kidney-beans and put into a saucepan with the paprika, and the khlii fat or the oil. Add the water, cover and cook.

When the kidney-beans are nearly cooked, mix the flour with a little water, pass through a sieve and add little by little to the stock, away from the heat, stirring briskly to avoid lumps. Bring to the boil and lower the heat. After about 10 minutes, add the rice, cooked separately in a little water, and the coriander which has been pounded with the requisite amount of sati for seasoning either in a mortar or an electric blender.

Bring to the boil, correct the seasoning and withdraw from the heat. This harira should be of the same consistency as the traditional harira. Sometimes the kidney-beans absorb a little more water than allowed for, in which case add a bit more.

Wheat dchicha soup (crushed grains of wheat)

Ingredients for 10 people. Cooking time 1 to 1 1/4 hours

• 4 liters (7 pts) of water
• 1 soup-bowlful of dchicha (2009) (7 oz)
• 1 soup spoonful of sweet peppers (paprika)
• 1 pinch of Sudan felfla (hot pimento dired and crushed)
• 1 tea glassful of dried kidney-beans (skinned)- 150 g (5 oz)
• 1 bunch of coriander (kasbour) washed and pounded with enough salt for the seasoning
• 1 piece of Moroccan khlii weighing about 100 g (4 oz) diced

Put the water on to boil, rinse the wheat in a strainer and pour into the saucepan. Add the paprika, the hot pepper (fefla) and the diced khlii.

After boiling for half an hour, add the kidney-beans. When they are cooked, add the coriander, pounded with salt, and bring back to the boil. Check the seasoning and take off the heat.

Vermicelli in sauce

Ingredients of this Moroccan soups recipes for 10 people.

preparation and cooking time : about 1 1/2 hours .

• 500g (1 lb 2 oz) of mutton cut into small pieces
• 5 or 6 small fleshy mutton bones
• 5 thinly sliced onions
• 1 teaspoonful of beldi saffron and ready-prepared saffron.
• 1 heaped teaspoonful of pepper
• 1 knob of butter the size of a walnut
• 1/2 tea glassful of oil
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) of vermicelli
• 4 tomatoes (optional)
• Salt

Put the meat, sliced onions, bones and skinned and quartered tomatoes in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Add the butter, oil, pepper, salt and saffron. Cover with 2 liters (4 pints) of water and leave to simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour. 20 minutes before serving, pour three-quarters of stock (without the ingredients) into another saucepan. Add 1 liter (2 pts) of water and a knob of butter and leave to boil. Cook for 5 minutes and then take off the heat. The vermicelli should normally absorb all the stock. Turn it into a large dish and put the remainder of the stock containing the ingredients on top, after re-heating. Serve at once.

Mhamsa (very coarse rolled couscous) soup

Ingredients for 10 people. Preparation and cooking time : 2 hours .

In the past the mhamsa was rolled at home, cooked in steam and dried in the sun for 2 days. It can now be found in shops already prepared. Mhamsa in sauce is prepared in the way as vermicelli in sauce. It absorbs more water and vermicelli has to be cooked for half an hour.

Must Read:  Authentic Moroccan Couscous Recipes | All You Need To Know

Gumbo soup (Mlokhia with Khlii)

Moroccan soups recipes “Gumbo”

How to prepare the gumbo powder used to make gumbo soup.

In summer cut the gumbos up in small pices, wipe with a clean cloth but do not wash and leave to dry in the sun for about 10 days. Take in at night because of the damp night air. When dry, pound hard in a mortar (mehraz) and pass this powder through a silk sieve (chtato). Put in a closed bottle and keep in a dry place. Can be kept for a year.

Ingredients for 8 people

• 3 litres (5 pts) of water
• 1 soup-bowlful of dried, skinned kidney-beans
• 8 small whole onions
• 1 heaped soupspoonful of sweet pepper (paprika) mixed with hot pepper (chilli) according to taste
• 1 heaped soupspoonful of gumbo powder
• 2 small pieces of khlii (about 200 g – 7 oz)
• 1 soupspoonful of khlii fat
• salt

Cook all these ingredients in a covered saucepan with 3 litres (5 pts) of water. When it starts to boil, take out the pieces of khlii and put on one side. Take the saucepan off the heat as soon as the kidney-beans and onions are cooked and after having checked the seasoning. Cut the khlii into small pieces and put back into the saucepan to re-heat. This dish is eaten with Moroccan bread cooked the day before, cut into pieces and dipped in the boiling hot soup.

When it is cooked, if the kidney beans have absorbed too much water and the soup is rather, thick, add a little more water.