Alright guys, I’m not going to lie. I’m kind of over Ramadan this year.
Before you go judging me, hear me out. Yes, time spent with family and loved ones is indeed priceless, and the slower pace is a refreshingly welcome change, but I’ve simply had it with the perpetual exhaustion and energy drain.
The issue with having Ramadan in the summer (aside from the sweltering desert heat) is that the later sunset time means an after-hours social life that extends well into the work-week, leaving you sleep deprived, grumpy and, in my case, hangry. Let the record show that I am 80 years old, and not a fan of staying up till 3 AM on the regular.
In any case, in the spirit of the holy month I have vowed to remain positive and gracious. Let’s focus on the things that make a day without food and water truly worthwhile.
Like a bowl full of piping-hot vegan Moroccan-style Harira soup.
I have long been a fan of Harira – a traditional Moroccan mainstay soup consisting of pulses, vegetables, a melange of fragrant spices and often some meat or chicken. A Moroccan family friend and neighbour used to bring us some daily during Ramadan when I was little, and I remember lapping up every last spoonful with pleasure.
More recently though, it had been years since I’d had it. It always seemed to daunting to attempt at home and was pretty much never vegan-friendly at restaurants or supermarkets (I’m looking at you, Tesco’s Finest soups). It was only when a good friend brought some of her mother’s mouth wateringly delicious rendition to a weekend potluck iftar that I remembered how much I was missing out on.
Not anymore.
Vegan Moroccan Harira Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large white onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 3 stalks of celery finely sliced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder increase or reduce based on personal preference
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 large ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 litre vegetable stock or water
- 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1/3 cup green lentils uncooked
- 1/3 cup quinoa uncooked
- 1/4 cup each of fresh coriander and parsley finely chopped
- Juice from half a lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by sauteeing the onion, carrots and celery with the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Add a pinch of sea salt and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes until soft.
- Add in garlic, ginger, spices and tomato puree, then turn up the heat and cook for 3-5 more minutes until fragrant.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, chickpeas, lentils and quinoa and allow to simmer before turning down the heat and covering. Allow it to cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed.The soup is done when vegetables are cooked through and lentils are tender. Add more water or vegetable stock if you prefer a soupier consistency.
- Remove from heat then taste to adjust seasonings before stirring in the fresh herbs and lemon juice. Serve piping hot.
I should preface this by saying that I cannot claim that my Harira is traditional in any way. The addition of ingredients like quinoa is pretty unconventional and I’m sure that it is one of those dishes that is inevitably prepared differently in every household.
That said, traditional or not, this stuff is incredible. Immensely flavourful, super hearty, and a true treat for the senses on account of the rich texture and fragrant aroma. (Side note: please excuse the wobbly lines and inconsistent pattern on my bowl. As you can probably guess, it’s hand painted, and yes, I will stick to blogging in the future. Art was never my forte.)
Some notes, for your cooking pleasure:
- Most harira recipes call for dried chickpeas, but I prepared this on a whim today after work (thank you Ramadan cravings), so I opted for pre-cooked chickpeas instead. If you decide to use dried chickpeas, you’ll have to soak them overnight beforehand and probably cook for about 20 mins longer.
- Not a fan of quinoa? Try some brown rice, millet or even bulghur. The addition of grain makes this soup into a meal-worthy dish, not to mention upping the protein content.
- The ingredient list may seem a little long, but it’s mostly the spices and it comes together in a cinch.
I even had time to make an accompanying salad.
Roasted butternut squash, avocado, pumpkin seeds and pomegranate pearls on a bed of mixed local lettuce.
But back to the star of today’s show.
Make this soup, soon. You will want seconds, I can almost guarantee it.
Other tasty soups to try for Ramadan:
Wonderful! Yes… this year is especially tough. Where I live it is 90-100 degrees for past two weeks. I’ve been traveling a lot and have several days to make up already. Awful. I’ve tried to stay positive. Your recipes raise the spirits.
Great looking recipe, but 2 x Tsp of Nutmeg, Really? Isn’t that much poisonous/hallucogenic?
So sorry, that was meant to be 1/2! Have amended now.
Hi,
Thank you for the recipe. Reinterpretation of traditional recipes is what keeps food interesting, IMHO.
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Yum!!! I am going to make this this coming weekend! Delicious!
Let me know how you like it!
even moroccans dont make it the same way , here in morocco its adjusted to everyones tastes and intolerances , the traditional one is made with flour instead of any other type of grain some make it with gram flour or you can make it with vegetable puree instead , so like i said its adjusted to your own tastes , the important ingredients are chickpeas and lentiles and tomato puree and celery its what it gives it the best taste , you cant have vegan harrira in morocco unless you are making your own most places here make it with at least beef stock or meat pieces
I can’t wait to try this. I’ve had a hard time finding vegan middle eastern recipes. Granted, I haven’t looked in a year or more, but I decided to try again today. I’m so glad I found your blog. Thanks for the recipes. I’ll be looking around here a little more to find some tasty treats. This Harira looks delicious.
Nada, your article on the Harira soup says that you’re 80 years old. Can’t be according to the picture of the beautiful woman beside the recipe!
Anyway, I tried the recipe and I had to make it again the next day because all of it was eaten right away. Now I double the recipe, it’s so good. Thank you for sharing such a delicious soup recipe.
best,
Marshall
Toronto, Canada
Marshall – you’re too kind! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, it’s definitely one of my favourites too. Thank you for reading.
I’m so happy I found your blog, I made this last night and it was so good! I definitely see myself making this again, The spices came together so well with the lemon, and the addition of quinoa seemed to add to it’s richness. You’re a skilled cook Nada!
Thank you so much – I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! It’s one of my favourites too.
Loved the saffron flavor! 5/5.
I think your bowl is beautifully artistic!
This is SO good!! I subbed orzo for quinoa and immersion blended about 1 cup. Incredibly flavorful and hearty. Thank you for this recipe, I’m certain I’ll be making it for a long time!
You’re most welcome, Becca! Glad to hear you enjoyed.
I found it great but it was even better the next day.I added a sprinkle of sugar and a bit more salt . So quick and easy!
Delicious stew! Had made something similar in the past, but lost the recipe. I used Pacific Mushroom broth for the liquid. So yummy! Thank you!
Dear Nada,
I am so excited to try your recipe. We just returned from Morocco and were there during Ramadan which was an exceptional time to visit. We were introduced to Harira Soup and I am going to make it tonight. I am in love with Morocco and hope to be able to return some day. I have such a deepened understanding of its people and culture and also the experience of Ramadan. We were privileged to share Iftar with a family in Fes. Truly an honor.
Thanks Lorri – please do let me know how you like it if you try it out!
Hi Nada,
I did make your Harira soup recipe and both my husband and I really enjoyed it. In fact, my husband said he thought it was better than the soup that we had at a couple of places in Morocco. I then made your salted caramel vegan date cake for my husband’s birthday and it was delicious.
Thank you so much for your inspired and lovely recipes. I will look through and definitely try more.
Lorri, what a wonderful message to read, thank you! I am so delighted you and your husband have been enjoying my recipes.
I have been looking for a vegan recipe of harira for ages, thank you so much!! And this one was gorgeous.
Now I will browse your blog, with pure delight. Your recipes are fantastic!
I made this soup last night, loved it! I replaced the smoked paprika for a pinch of sweet paprika and the dried chilly for a chopped fresh one. Made enough to freeze half for an easy meal some other day.
I was looking for vegan Moroccan recipes, happy I found your blog!
Coincidentally it is Ramadan again, I hope you are well and enjoying this soup for iftar!
I came across this recipe completely by accident. I was playing a word association game and the word ‘harira’ came up. Not having a clue what it was (and therefore which category it belonged in), I googled it and your recipe popped up. I’m always up for trying new recipes. Plus it’s hovering around freezing here, so the timing was excellent. And it’s delicious. Thank you for posting the recipe! It’s now going onto my list of favourites!
(Incidentally, I put ‘harira’ in the right category – soups – and won the game. So thanks for that too!)