Traditional Moroccan Harira
Traditional Moroccan Harira is a medium Moroccan recipe that serves 6. 250 calories per serving. Recipe by Oum Arwa on YouTube.
Prep: 35 min | Cook: 48 min | Total: 1 hr 38 min
Cost: $10.40 total, $1.73 per serving
Ingredients
- 2 cuillère à soupe Olive oil (To sauté onion and meat)
- 1 unité Yellow onion (Large, finely chopped)
- 200 g Red meat (veal, lamb or beef) (Cut into cubes)
- 1 cuillère à café Salt
- 0.5 cuillère à café Black pepper
- 1 cuillère à café Ground ginger
- 1 cuillère à café Ground turmeric
- 1 cuillère à café Sweet paprika
- 1 pincée Cinnamon (or small stick)
- 30 g Fresh coriander (Chopped, added at end of cooking)
- 30 g Flat parsley (Chopped, added at end of cooking)
- 2 branches Celery stalk (Chopped)
- 3 unités Fresh tomatoes (Grated or blended)
- 150 g Dried chickpeas (Soaked the night before and frozen)
- 100 g Red lentils (Rinsed)
- quelques filaments Saffron threads (Optional, adds color and aroma)
- 1.5 L Boiling water (Not warm water)
- 100 g Very fine spaghetti (angel hair) (Quick cooking, 2-3 min)
- 30 g Unsalted butter (Adds creaminess)
- 1 cuillère à soupe Lemon juice (Juice of ½ lemon, added at end)
- 2-3 cuillère à soupe Tomato concentrate (Or canned tomato purée)
- 2 cuillère à soupe Flour (Dilute in cold water to avoid lumps)
Instructions
Ingredient preparation
Chop the onion, dice the celery, grate the tomatoes, measure the spices, prepare the flour/water mixture in a bowl.
Time: PT15M
Sauté onion and meat
Heat 2 c. à s. d olive oil in the pressure cooker, add the chopped onion and sweat it for 2 min, then add the meat and brown it for 3 min.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: feu moyen
Add spices
Stir in the salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric, paprika and pinch of cinnamon, then mix for 2 min.
Time: PT2M
Incorporate vegetables and legumes
Add the chopped celery, grated tomatoes, soaked chickpeas, rinsed lentils and saffron threads. Immediately pour 1.5 L boiling water, stir and cover.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: feu moyen
Pressure cooking
Close the pressure cooker, bring to high pressure and cook 20‑25 min. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 min before opening.
Time: PT25M
Prepare angel hair and butter
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, cook the very fine spaghetti 2‑3 min, drain. Cut the butter into small pieces.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: eau bouillante
Prepare the binder (flour + water)
In a bowl, mix 2 c. à s. of flour with 100 ml cold water, whisk until smooth.
Time: PT3M
Thicken the soup
Open the pot, scrape the bottom, add the flour/water mixture in a stream while stirring. Adjust consistency with boiling water if the soup is too thick.
Time: PT5M
Add tomato concentrate
Stir in 2‑3 c. à s. of tomato concentrate, let simmer 10 min on low heat, stirring regularly.
Time: PT10M
Temperature: feu doux
Incorporate angel hair and butter
Add the cooked spaghetti and the butter, mix and cook 5 min over medium heat.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: feu moyen
Aromatic finishing
Add chopped coriander and parsley, then the juice of half a lemon, stir 1 min.
Time: PT1M
Serving
Turn off the heat, scrape the bottom one last time, serve hot with croutons, hard‑boiled eggs, dates or briouats.
Time: PT2M
Nutrition Facts
- Calories
- 250
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 30 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
Dietary info: gluten‑free (if using rice flour), vegetarian possible (by omitting meat), halal (if halal meat is chosen), low-calorie, low-fat, high-fiber
Allergens: gluten (flour, pasta), lactose (butter)
Last updated: April 7, 2026






