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Harira Soup with Chicken

  • Side Dish

This North African harira soup recipe is home cooking at its best! And it’s easy to make from scratch. This savory, spicy comfort food is the OG of one pot meals.

  • Servings 3
  • Preparation
  • Cooking

Ingredients

  • 100g (approx 3.5 oz) skinless chicken thigh, cut in quarters
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper toasted
  • 1/2 (1.7 oz) onion, cut in quarters
  • 2/3 (1.1 oz) carrot, peeled and cut in thirds
  • 1/3 celery, cut in thirds with tough strings removed
  • 1/4 bunch of coriander, cut in thirds
  • 1/2 can of chickpeas
  • 1/2 can of tomato
  • 1/2 tsp grated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 cup beef or chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/3 tsp turmeric
  • 1/3 tsp cumin
  • 1/3 tsp paprika
  • 1/3 cinnamon
  • 1/3 tsp chili powder (Curry powder may be substituted.)

  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

  • Sprinkle some salt and pepper on chicken thigh.
  • Heat olive oil in a pan, stir-fry chicken thigh, and when the color changes, add onion, carrot, celery and coriander and stir-fry thoroughly.
  • Add grated garlic, grated ginger, canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, chicken bouillon, and bay leaf.
  • Once it boils, remove the lye, add spices and salt, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  • Cool down soup, remove the bay leaf, and place ingredients into the container and firmly secure the lid.
  • Turn the dial to start the blender and set the speed to “1” or “2”. Blend for 30 seconds.

WHAT IS HARIRA SOUP

Harira soup is a tomato based North African soup, served in Morocco and Algeria. Common ingredients include lentils, chickpeas and lamb or chicken – stewed together with warming spices. While it is common to serve harira as a main dish, it can also be a side dish to a larger meal – or even a mid-afternoon snack. However, harira is also closely associated with Ramadan, and the foods traditionally eaten when breaking fast.

Now, there are quite a few ways to prepare harira. Some versions have a thinner consistency, and some versions are thickened by lentils. But you can always count on harira to have a ton of flavor. And that comes down to the spices!

COMMON SPICES USED IN HARIRA SOUP

While cinnamon may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to spices, you’d miss it if it wasn’t in the stock pot. It adds a mildly sweet and woody note to the otherwise spicy and savory dish. Ginger, turmeric and paprika deliver a slow burn in the heat department without being volcanic. Chili powder delivers more in the way of actual heat – although we’ve experimented with using curry powder instead (with delicious results).

VARIATIONS AND TIPS

  • Make it vegan. To make a vegan harira soup, simply omit the chicken – and use vegetable stock instead of the chicken or beef broth.
  • Try adding lentils. Algerian harira does not contain lentils – and that’s what this easy recipe is based on. Moroccan chickpea soup, on the other hand, also calls for lentils which further fortify and thicken the soup.
  • Swap proteins. Not a fan of chicken? No problem! Other popular proteins include lamb and beef.
  • Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving. Bay leaves are great for flavor – but aren’t edible. Remember to remove it from the soup pot before blending and eating.

Products used in this recipe

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