Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Warmly spiced and perfect for autumn and winter, this slow cooker lamb harira recipe is easy to make and ideal for batch cooking. If you love spicy North African flavours then this stew of lamb, lentils, chickpeas and spices will definitely suit you.

There are many different ways to make harira and many different recipes online. Some have meat in, like this lamb harira, some are vegetarian, some are smoother and some are chunkier.

But what is harira?

Harira is a traditional North African soup, especially popular in Morocco and Algeria and is often eaten during ramadan, although it can be eaten at any time. It's got a tomato base and is packed with a mixture of different pulses including lentils and chickpeas. Rice or vermicelli are often added as well. It's warmly spiced with cinnamon, cumin and turmeric. As I said, it can have meat in, usually lamb, or it can be meatless.

Ingredients in this lamb harira recipe

To make this slow cooker harira recipe with lamb you'll need:

Cooking oil - I usually use light olive oil.
Onion, celery and carrot - These form the mirepoix which is the base for the soup. If you don't have celery or carrots you can miss them out and just add an extra onion.
Garlic - I love to use fresh garlic but you can use garlic puree or even garlic powder as a substitute.
Root ginger - I always add grated root ginger to this soup as I love the freshness of root ginger. However, you can use ground ginger and add it along with the other spices instead.
Lamb - Use a cut that is good for the slow cooker. Diced leg or shoulder are great.
Ground spices - cumin, cinnamon and turmeric
Harissa paste - I love adding this as harissa is such a favourite condiment of mine. However, it can be replaced by finely diced chilli peppers or some dried chilli flakes.
Chickpeas - I normally add chickpeas from a can but you can cook dried chickpea and then add them.
Green and red lentils - I like to use a mixture of different kinds of lentils. The red ones break down and thicken the soup and the green one retan a little texture. You can also use brown lentils instead of green ones.
Tinned tomatoes - If you don't have tinned tomatoes then use fresh diced tomatoes.
Tomato puree
Vegetable stock - Or lamb or chicken stock.
lemons to serve
Coriander (cilantro) - You can stir a little into the soup before serving and sprinkle some on top too. It's totally optional but adds a lovely freshness.

How to cook harira?

I normally cook harira in the slow cooker as it's a great way of making the lamb really tender.

I have a Crock Pot Multi Cooker which is great as it means I can saute the mirepoix and brown the lamb before switching to the slow cook function and leaving the soup to cook. All in the same pot in the same machine.

Basically you heat the oil and then cook the onion, celery and carrot. Once they are softened you can add the garlic and ginger. Then the lamb. Keep stirring it and once it has sealed on all sides, add the spices.

Then add the the harissa, tomato puree, tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils and stock. Switch to the slow cook function and cook on low for 8 hours. If you don't have this kind of slow cooker, just begin the recipe on the hob and transfer the contents into the slow cooker after the first few steps.

When ready to serve, squeeze in a little lemon juice and top with a little fresh coriander.

Can you cook it on the hob?

Yes, just follow the same instructions but simmer for 2.5 hours or until the lamb is tender. Alternatively you can put the stew in the oven at a temperature of about 150C for the same amount of time.

With either of these cooking methods the liquid is likely to evaporate more so you may need to add extra stock to stop the stew drying out.

Can you adapt the recipe?

Yes, this is a very easy recipe to adapt. You can miss out the lamb for example to make it vegetarian.

Why not use different kinds of lentils or add extras such as rice or vermicelli?

You can make it spicier by adding extra chillies or make it milder by missing out or reducing the amount of harissa.

What to serve with harira?

I love to serve this with pitta breads to dip in the soup and mop it up. However, any kind of bread works well.

Traditionally harira is served with hard boiled eggs topped with salt and cumin.

One thing you definitely need to serve on the side is lemons. A squeeze of lemon really makes this soup sing!

Storing and reheating the leftovers

Any leftovers can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days. Just reheat in a saucepan on the hob or in the microwave. You may need to add a splash of water as the soup will get thicker as it stands.

You can also freeze it once it has cooled. I usually put it in individual containers so it's easier to defrost for one person. Defrost in the fridge overnight or take it out of the freezer in the morning and defrost at room temperature.

More recipes you might like

Do check out my recipe collections for soups and for spicy midweek meals. You might especially like one of these recipes:

Recipe