Nov 1, 2022

Vegan Harira Soup

Richly spiced and flavourful vegan harira soup will warm a tummy on any cold day.

Harira is one of Morocco's most popular soups thanks to its rich flavour and hardiness. With both lentils and chickpeas, this soup is loaded with plant-based protein making it a must-try for all the vegans out there looking to add high protein foods to their diets.

Typically, harira is made with meat (such as lamb), so for non-vegans, this can be easily added in by first braising chunks of meat in the Dutch oven before carrying on with the rest of the recipe.

I also have added turnip to this soup, which isn't a usual ingredient. It can be omitted if the flavour is not appealing, but I like the subtle pepperiness it can add.

Ingredients

(Makes 6 servings)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced (with leaves)
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 large turnip, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (796ml) diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can (540ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (540ml) green lentils, drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup angel hair pasta, crushed
juice of 1 lemon (optional)

Directions

Lodge 6 Quart Enamelled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the extra-virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, carrot, and turnip, along with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Sauté until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent (about 6 or 7 minutes). Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute, then add the smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, ground black pepper, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Mix well.

Add the tomato paste and combine well with the vegetables before adding the can of tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are well combined, add in the lentils and the chickpeas and mix. Add the vegetable stock, stirring it in well. Allow the pot to come to a ow boil begore reducing the heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the fresh herbs, stirring to combine well. If the soup is too thick, a bit of water, or additional vegetable stock, can be added at this time. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until the lentils and turnip are tender.