Harira Soup

Name: Harira Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Algerian
Ingredients: 1 lb lamb shoulder, cubed; 1 onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp paprika; 1 lg can canned chickpeas, drained; 1/2 cup brown lentils; 1 lg can canned diced tomatoes; 8 cups beef or lamb broth; 1 stalk celery, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

A hearty Algerian soup with chickpeas, lentils, lamb, and warming spices, traditionally served during Ramadan.

80 minEasyServes 6380 cal/serving

AlgerianSoupStovetopStandard

Ingredients

1 lb lamb shoulder, cubed
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1 lg can canned chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup brown lentils
1 lg can canned diced tomatoes
8 cups beef or lamb broth
1 stalk celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 lb cubed lamb shoulder and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
2

Add 1 diced onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, and 1 tsp grated fresh ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
3

Stir in 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp paprika. Cook 1 minute to bloom spices.
4

Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and stir well, cooking 1 minute.
5

Pour in 8 cups beef or lamb broth and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 cup brown lentils.
6

Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes until lentils are almost tender.
7

Add 1 lg can drained canned chickpeas, 1 lg can canned diced tomatoes, 2 diced carrots, and 1 stalk diced celery. Simmer 20 minutes more until vegetables are tender and lamb reaches an internal temperature of 160-170°F.
8

Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
9

Ladle into bowls and garnish with 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.

Questions

How long does Harira Soup keep?

Refrigerate it up to four days, or freeze it in portions for up to three months. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or stock to loosen it.

Can I halve or double Harira Soup?

Yes. As written it serves 6. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa and Pomegranate side
Spiced Carrot Salad salad
Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes side

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is a plain-text cooking reference of 4,481 recipes, free to read and cook from, with no account and no paywall. In the app, this entry scales itself: half, standard, or double batch, every quantity recomputed inside the step that uses it. No ads, no life stories, no photos of somebody else's dinner.

The entries are curated and public-domain sourced, written to a fixed template and checked against it: tested quantities, one closed vocabulary of methods, and precomputed half and double batches on every line. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser, instantly. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually, and the first 30 days are free.