Soup & Bread Supper menu
Moroccan Soup and Bread Supper — A Simple, Nourishing Evening Meal
Some of the most beloved Moroccan meals are also the humblest — a bowl of soup, a round of fresh bread, a few olives and a boiled egg make a supper that has nourished families for generations. This simple menu for four leans on that tradition: a choice of harira or bissara, warm khobz for dipping, olives, cumin-dusted eggs and dates. It is cheap, filling and quick to put together, the kind of unfussy evening meal Moroccans eat far more often than the elaborate feasts. Perfect for a cold night or a low-effort supper, it proves how much comfort lies in soup and bread. Humble, warming and thrifty.
The menu
The soup (choose one)
Harira or bissara
Either the thick tomato-lentil-chickpea harira or the silky split-fava bissara. Both are hearty, warming and traditionally eaten as a meal with bread.
The bread
Fresh warm khobz
Round Moroccan bread, warm from the oven, for dipping in the soup. The essential partner without which the supper is not complete.
Savoury bites
Olives and cumin-dusted boiled eggs
A bowl of marinated olives and hard-boiled eggs with a twist of cumin and salt — simple protein and bite alongside the soup.
Cheese or dip
Soft jben cheese or a little zaalouk
A small dish of fresh soft cheese or leftover zaalouk to spread on the bread for a touch more substance and variety.
Sweet finish
Dates and honey
Soft dates, perhaps with a drizzle of honey, to round off the supper sweetly and simply.
Drink
Mint tea
A pot of sweet mint tea to finish, warming and digestive after a bowl of soup. The gentle close to a humble meal.
Shopping list
- For harira: tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, a little meat, flour and celery
- Or for bissara: dried split fava beans, garlic and cumin
- Bread or flour to bake fresh khobz
- Eggs and ground cumin
- Mixed olives and preserved lemon
- Soft jben cheese (optional)
- Fresh coriander and parsley
- Paprika, ginger and good olive oil
- Dates and honey
- Green tea and fresh mint
Prep timeline
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Earlier in the day
If making harira, cook it ahead — it is better reheated. Bissara can also be made in advance and thinned with water later.
-
1 hour before
Bake or warm the khobz. Boil the eggs and set out the olives and cheese. Prepare the cumin-salt for the eggs.
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30 minutes before
Gently reheat the soup, adding water if it has thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning and finish with fresh herbs.
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10 minutes before
Warm the bread through, brew the mint tea, and arrange the dates and honey for after.
-
To serve
Ladle the soup into bowls with a wedge of lemon, bring the warm bread, olives and eggs, and finish with dates and tea.
Host's tips
- This is everyday food — keep it simple and unfussy, letting good soup and fresh bread do the work.
- Both harira and bissara are better made ahead and reheated, so this is an easy supper to prepare in advance.
- Thin the soup with a little water when reheating, as both thicken considerably as they stand.
- A twist of paper holding cumin and salt beside the eggs is the authentic, simple Moroccan touch.
- Finish the bissara with a generous swirl of good olive oil and a dusting of cumin and paprika at the table.
Questions about this menu
Is soup and bread really a Moroccan supper?
Very much so. A bowl of harira or bissara with fresh bread, olives and a boiled egg is a common, beloved everyday evening meal in Morocco, far more typical than elaborate feasts. Soup is treated as a full, nourishing meal in its own right, especially in colder months, and bread is the essential companion for eating it.
What is the difference between harira and bissara?
Harira is a thick, tangy soup of tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas and a little meat, thickened with flour, associated with Ramadan but eaten year-round. Bissara is a smooth, comforting purée of dried split fava beans finished with olive oil, cumin and paprika, often eaten for breakfast or a light supper. Both are hearty, bread-friendly and inexpensive.
What do I serve alongside the soup?
Keep it simple: warm khobz for dipping, a bowl of olives, hard-boiled eggs dusted with cumin and salt, and perhaps some soft cheese or leftover zaalouk to spread on the bread. Dates and honey with mint tea finish the meal. These humble accompaniments turn a bowl of soup into a satisfying, complete supper.
Can I make this supper cheaply?
Absolutely — it is among the thriftiest of Moroccan meals. Bissara in particular costs mere pennies a bowl, using only dried fava beans, garlic and spice. Bread, eggs and olives are inexpensive, and the whole supper feeds a family for very little. It is proof that some of the best Moroccan food is also the simplest.
How do I reheat the soup without spoiling it?
Warm it gently over a low heat, stirring, and add a little water as it will have thickened while standing. Taste and re-season, as reheated soups often need a lift of salt or a squeeze of lemon, and stir in fresh herbs at the end. Avoid a hard boil, which can dull the flavour and catch on the base.
Learn to cook this menu with a local in Marrakech
Every dish here is taught, hands-on, in a Marrakech cooking class — or taste them across the medina on a guided food tour.