Harira

Harira is a tomato soup thickened with lentils, chickpeas and shredded lamb, finished with a flour-and-water paste stirred in at the end to give it body — the soup that opens the fast at sunset throughout Ramadan in Morocco. It's eaten with a date, a wedge of lemon and a sweet, sesame-studded pastry called chebakia alongside, the whole small spread designed to bring a stomach back to eating gently after a day without food or water.

What it really is

Onion, celery and tomato build the base, with ginger, cinnamon, saffron and a bundle of fresh coriander and parsley tied together for the pot. Lentils and chickpeas simmer until soft, small pieces of lamb or beef go in early enough to fall apart by serving, and vermicelli or rice is common in home versions, though not universal. What sets harira apart from other tomato-and-legume soups is the tedouira: a smooth paste of flour whisked with water and sometimes egg, stirred through the pot in the final minutes to thicken the broth to a texture closer to a light stew than a clear soup.

Getting the tedouira right is the actual skill test of the dish. Add it too fast or to a broth that's too hot and it turns lumpy rather than silky, which is why cooks whisk it into a small amount of the hot broth first before returning it to the pot — a two-step trick, not an optional shortcut.

How it's served

• In a deep bowl, thick enough that a spoon stands up briefly.
• With a date and a wedge of lemon on the side, squeezed in at the table.
• Alongside chebakia or another honeyed pastry, especially during Ramadan.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the wheat from the flour thickener and any vermicelli.
• Note the celery specifically — it's a listed allergen and easy to overlook in a tomato-based soup.
• Say if lamb, beef or a vegetarian stock is used, since all three appear on Moroccan tables depending on the household and the season.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.