Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup or Harira
Prep 15 mins Cook 1:40 Eat 1:55
Instant Pot/pressure cooker method: Prep 15 mins Cook 40 mins Eat 55 mins
Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is based on a traditional Harira.
I learned to make this Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup, also known as Harira from Dorie Greenspan. Harira is a traditional Moroccan dish which is served to break the fast during Ramadan. Ramadan is a month-long Muslim tradition to fast from sunrise to sundown to observe prayer, reflection and community. I would be dreaming all day about this soup if I were observing Ramadan.
Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is great to have in the fridge on a cold day.
Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is the most delicious flavorful noodle soup I have tasted and it is on our menu several times every winter since I was introduced to the recipe through Dorie’s “Everyday Dorie” cookbook, subtitled “The Way I Cook”. A tomato based soup made with red lentils, chickpeas, angel hair pasta and optional meatballs, the flavor comes from lots of spices. Ground ginger, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are the reason for Harira’s distinctive power punch of flavor.
Everyday Dorie Cookbook features Morrocan Chickpea Noodle Soup.
I got to know Dorie at a Melissa’s Produce sponsored luncheon where she was promoting her cookie cookbook, “Dorie’s Cookies”. At another cookbook launch a year later, I got to taste this delicious Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup from her “Everyday Dorie” cookbook. Dorie is a person with attention to detail and that is reflected in her recipe writing. She is a baker at heart, but in this beautiful and inspiring cookbook, we get a window in to her very favorite recipes she serves day in, day out.
Keep ingredients for Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup on hand for a cold day.
Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup takes a bit of time, but I found that the Instant Pot or pressure cooker can speed it up.
Keep these ingredients in your pantry and freezer for making Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup.
Keep these ingredients on hand and prepare this dish when you are home bound from a snowy or rainy day or just want to hunker down on the weekend or an evening. The recipe makes enough for about 8 servings, so you can serve it for guests or to have ready for an easy dinner.
Measure out the spices in a bowl in advance.
Measure out the precious ground spices in a bowl. The ginger, black pepper, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are so colorful.
Cook the onion, celery and garlic in oil. Then add in the spice mixture.
Add cooking oil to a large soup pot, Instant Pot or pressure cooker along with the diced onions, garlic and celery. Cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the spice mixture for a minute and let the aroma fill your senses.
Optional Meatballs add more protein.
I love to add meatballs to the Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup
While the vegetables are cooking, form ground meat into small meatballs (if you are adding), about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Cook them in a fry pan in oil just until browned, then set them aside.
Add the red lentils, tomatoes and parsley/cilantro.
Once you have the onion base ready, add the can of tomatoes, the red lentils and half of the parsley/cilantro. Give it all a stir and turn up the heat.
The Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup ingredients are healthful and yummy.
When the meatballs are ready, add them in along with the chicken or vegetable stock and give a gentle stir.
My homemade chicken stock (still half frozen) is added with the meatballs.
I generally have homemade chicken stock in my freezer, so I add that while it is still mostly frozen.
Save time by using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
Now, here is where the pot you use can make a difference in time. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once at a boil, turn it down to a simmer and then let it cook for about an hour. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans and cook for another 20-30 minutes. At this point, you could freeze some of the soup before adding the noodles.
OR if you are using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, tighten the lid on and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally until you can open the lid safely, then add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans. Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Then let the pressure come down naturally.
Add the broken pasta just before serving.
While the soup is still hot and just before serving, add the broken angel hair pasta.
Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is ready to be served.
Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir in the rest of the parsley or cilantro.
That first bite of Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is going to win you over.
Serve the soup in bowls with lemon wedges and take in the aroma and delicious flavor of the Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup. Imagine you have fasted for a full day and this is your first meal to break the fast. What a delicious moment!
Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is great to have in the fridge on a cold day.
Since you have made eight servings of this delicious soup, place any leftover Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup in the fridge and note that the flavor will be even better the second day. But do add more water or stock to keep it liquidy when you reheat it and you can add more noodles to keep it fresh.
Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup
This addictively delicious Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup, also known as Harira is from Dorie Greenspan’s book, “Everyday Dorie”. Harira is a traditional Moroccan dish served to break the fast during Ramadan. With a tomato base made with red lentils, chickpeas, angel hair pasta, and optional meatballs, the bold flavor comes from the spices. Ground ginger, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are the reason for Harira’s distinctive power punch of flavor. Using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker will reduce the preparation time to 55 minutes. You may want to halve the recipe (or freeze it before adding the noodles).
3 1/2 Tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Large pinch saffron threads
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, finely sliced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground meat (beef, lamb, pork or chicken)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
3/4 cup red lentils
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 pound Angel Hair or Capellini pasta, broken into pieces
1 to 2 lemons, cut into wedges
1. Measure out the ground spices in a bowl. The ginger, black pepper, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are so colorful.
2. Add cooking oil to a large soup pot, Instant Pot or pressure cooker along with the diced onions, garlic and celery. Cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the spice mixture for a minute and let the aroma fill your senses.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, form ground meat into small meatballs (if you are adding), about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Cook them in a fry pan in oil, just until browned, then set them aside.
4. Once you have the onion base ready, add the can of tomatoes, the red lentils and half of the parsley/cilantro. Give it all a stir and turn up the heat. When the meatballs are ready, add them in along with the chicken or vegetable stock and give a gentle stir.
5. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer and then let it cook for about an hour In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
6. OR if you are using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, tighten the lid on and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally until you can open the lid safely and then add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans. Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Then let the pressure come down naturally. (At this point, you could freeze some of the soup before adding the noodles.)
7. While the soup is still hot and just before serving, add the broken angel hair pasta. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir in more parsley or cilantro and serve in bowls with lemon wedges.
8. Place any leftover Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup in the fridge. The flavor will improve. Add more water or stock to keep it liquidy when you reheat it and you can add more noodles to keep it fresh.
Servings: 8 – 466 calories per serving
Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Large pinch saffron threads
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 celery stalks finely sliced
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground meat beef, lamb, pork or chicken
- 1 28- ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro chopped
- 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
- 3/4 cup red lentils
- 1 15- ounce can chickpeas garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 pound Angel Hair or Capellini pasta broken into pieces
- 1 to 2 lemons cut into wedges
Instructions
- Measure out the ground spices in a bowl. The ginger, black pepper, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are so colorful.
- Add cooking oil to a large soup pot, Instant Pot or pressure cooker along with the diced onions, garlic and celery. Cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the spice mixture for a minute and let the aroma fill your senses.
- While the vegetables are cooking, form ground meat into small meatballs (if you are adding), about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Cook them in a fry pan in oil, just until browned, then set them aside.
- Once you have the onion base ready, add the can of tomatoes, the red lentils and half of the parsley/cilantro. Give it all a stir and turn up the heat. When the meatballs are ready, add them in along with the chicken or vegetable stock and give a gentle stir.
- Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer and then let it cook for about an hour In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
- OR if you are using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, tighten the lid on and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally until you can open the lid safely and then add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans. Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Then let the pressure come down naturally. (At this point, you could freeze some of the soup before adding the noodles.)
- While the soup is still hot and just before serving, add the broken angel hair pasta. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir in more parsley or cilantro and serve in bowls with lemon wedges.
- Place any leftover Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup in the fridge. The flavor will improve. Add more water or stock to keep it liquidy when you reheat it and you can add more noodles to keep it fresh.
- ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com
Nutrition
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