In a world where everything feels a bit wrong, this is the one dish that will always make me feel right. It’s comfort in a bowl. Nourishing in both ingredients and soul, Harira is one of the recipes I turn to time and time again – it tastes like home. If you’ve never tried it, Harira is a North African lentil soup that’s finished with fresh lemon juice. It’s savory, tangy, and everything a body can ask for from a dish. It’s also relatively simple to make (don’t let the long ingredient list fool you) and this nice large batch will give you plenty of leftovers that you can eat throughout the week or freeze for a pre-made meal.
Harira is a traditional North African lentil soup that's finished with fresh lemon juice. It's savory, tangy, and extremely nourishing and comforting. It's traditionally eaten to break fast during Ramadan, but is also eaten at other times throughout the year - it's one of my all time favorite foods on the planet and it tastes like home.
Begin by preparing all of your ingredients - it's worth taking the time to do this so you can get it all into the pot at the right time and enjoy the process.
In a large pot (that has a lid), heat your oil over medium-high heat.
Once hot, add all of your Sauté Veggies and Sauté Spice ingredients. Season with salt and sauté until your onions begin to soften and turn translucent. Have your Vegetable Broth handy so you can de-glaze as needed and stir often.
Once your onions are softened and your house smells like a dreamland, add your lentils and rice and sauté for one more minute, stirring often to toast the grains.
Add your remaining ingredients and give your soup a nice stir to mix throughout. Taste for seasoning, and add salt as needed.
Bring to a boil and then cover and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes, checking-in and stirring after about 15 minutes or so.
After the 25 minutes is up, add your garbanzo beans and re-cover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes (I typically check-in and stir after about 10 minutes).
Kill the heat, and add in your lemon juice and remaining fresh cilantro and parsley and stir once more. Serve hot either as-is or with fresh toasted bread.
Ingredients
Directions
Begin by preparing all of your ingredients - it's worth taking the time to do this so you can get it all into the pot at the right time and enjoy the process.
In a large pot (that has a lid), heat your oil over medium-high heat.
Once hot, add all of your Sauté Veggies and Sauté Spice ingredients. Season with salt and sauté until your onions begin to soften and turn translucent. Have your Vegetable Broth handy so you can de-glaze as needed and stir often.
Once your onions are softened and your house smells like a dreamland, add your lentils and rice and sauté for one more minute, stirring often to toast the grains.
Add your remaining ingredients and give your soup a nice stir to mix throughout. Taste for seasoning, and add salt as needed.
Bring to a boil and then cover and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes, checking-in and stirring after about 15 minutes or so.
After the 25 minutes is up, add your garbanzo beans and re-cover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes (I typically check-in and stir after about 10 minutes).
Kill the heat, and add in your lemon juice and remaining fresh cilantro and parsley and stir once more. Serve hot either as-is or with fresh toasted bread.