Home / Moroccan Tomato & Red Lentil Harira (Soup) – Including Thermomix Method

Moroccan Tomato & Red Lentil Harira (Soup) – Including Thermomix Method

The comforting, cosy flavours of this soup is one of our favourites, and over the cooler months we would make this at least every two weeks. One bowl of this nourishing and delicious soup works brilliantly to keep you going during the day, especially in winter!

One of the easiest recipes to make, from ingredients & spices that are usually in your pantry, it is perfect to make and enjoyed over a few days, when you need something warm to take the chill off, or freeze any leftovers for another time.

We hope you’ll enjoy it!!

 

(Serves 8)
60ml (3 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped (TM: peeled and quartered)
1 tsp each of ground cumin, paprika, cinnamon, ginger powder, coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder
1L (4 cups) chicken stock (or Vegetable Stock), homemade (see recipe below) or use your favourite commercial brand
3 tins of whole peeled tomatoes, pureed (TM: keep whole)
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup coriander stalks and leaves, coarsely chopped
Serve with Turkish Bread
Conventional Method
  1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and cook onions until softened and golden.
  2. Stir in spices and cook for about 1 minute to release flavours.
  3. Add stock, lentils and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 35-40 minutes, until the lentils have softened, stirring often to prevent lentils from catching on bottom. Should the soup become too thick while cooking, add water to suit desired consistency.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve in bowls sprinkled with coriander, and slices of Turkish bread.
  5. If using the soup over a few days, as the soup will thicken up in the refrigerator, simply add some water or more chicken stock to your liking when reheating.
Thermomix Method
  1. Add tins of tomato to TM bowl. “Gently” crush: 10 sec | SP 3.5/4. (If you go too fast, the tomatoes will turn “orange”, which doesn’t look so nice). Set aside.
  2. Place onion into bowl and chop: 5 sec | SP5. Scrape down sides. Add oil to bowl and saute: 10 min | 120C | SP1.
  3. Add all spices to bowl and cook: 1 min | VAROMA | SP1 to release flavours.
  4. Add stock, lentils and pureed tomatoes to TM bowl. Cook: 40min | 100C | Reverse | SP1 | MC Off. Put the rice basket onto lid to prevent sputtering.
  5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve in bowls sprinkled with coriander, and slices of Turkish bread.
  6. If using the soup over a few days, as the soup will thicken up in the refrigerator, simply add some water or more chicken stock to your liking when reheating.
Chicken Stock
(makes about 3-4 litres)
1 kg of chicken carcasses
600g chicken wings
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
1 leek, thickly cut
2 carrots, thickly cut
2 sticks celery, thickly cut
100g mushrooms
4 stalks parsley
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
  1. Rinse chicken carcasses and place in a stockpot with chicken wings. Add remaining ingredients and cover with water to come just above ingredients.
  2. Bring to the boil then lower heat to simmering. Continue to simmer gently (bubbling very gently), uncovered, for 4 hours while occasionally skimming any froth from the top.
  3. Strain out stock into another clean saucepan. Let cool and place in fridge overnight. Remove any fat from the surface.
  4. Freeze any unused stock in plastic containers. Season to taste as required.