Moroccan Spiced Carrot Soup, Shorba bil Jazar, Chorba b'khisou
This moroccan carrot soup recipe blends sweet carrots with cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, maple syrup and lemon into a smooth, bright-orange soup, finished with warm chickpeas and parsley. One serving is about 536 g and carries 299 calories. It is not the Belgian Wortelsoep — that carrot soup is finished with cream and nutmeg — this Moroccan version is defined by its warm spicing and has no cream at all.
Carrots are a market staple across Morocco, sold in bunches in the souks and cooked into salads, tagines and soups. Moroccan cooks season vegetables the way they season most dishes: cumin and garlic for warmth, cinnamon for sweetness, ginger for lift, and lemon to brighten the finish. This soup follows that home pattern — blended smooth, fully plant-based, and finished with chickpeas, the way a Moroccan cook stretches a light soup into a proper lunch.
Pairs well with: Warm khobz or crusty bread, and a pot of mint tea.
Provenance
Morocco
Moroccan Market Soup
Middle Eastern
Time Dedication
50m
15m prep • 35m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
299 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 536 g
Technical Skill
Easy
Easy (One Pot)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Prime Metabolic Fit
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Moroccan Market Soup
Photo: jules / stone soup, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)
This version is fully plant-based, made with olive oil and vegetable stock and no dairy, and the maple syrup and lemon are added to taste so the sweet-sour balance stays gentle. The hero photo shows the same dish in its blended form — a smooth orange carrot soup — though it is a generic photograph, not one taken in Morocco.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Carrots, Aromatics and Spices
15 Mins • Carrots, Aromatics and Spices
Peel the carrots and slice them into thin rounds about 5 mm thick so they cook quickly and evenly. Chop the onion finely, mince the garlic, and peel and grate the ginger. Measure the cumin, coriander and cinnamon into one small bowl so they can go into the pot together, and measure out the stock, maple syrup, lemon juice and harissa. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and keep them warm in a small pan.
Maestro Tip: Slice the carrots thin and even — thick chunks take twice as long to soften, and the soup will not blend smooth.
5 Mins Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Warm the 30ml of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the 150g of chopped onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent. Stir in the 12g of garlic and 20g of grated ginger and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.
Do not let the garlic brown — browned garlic turns bitter and will sour the whole pot.
Done when: Soft, sweet-smelling onion with no colour on the garlic.
1 Min Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Tip in the 4g of cumin, 4g of coriander and 2g of cinnamon and stir for about 1 minute, until the spices smell warm and fragrant and coat the onion in a rust-red paste.
Keep the spoon moving — ground spices scorch in seconds on a hot pot base.
Done when: A fragrant, rust-red paste clinging to the onion.
25 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Add the 800g of sliced carrots and the 1000ml of vegetable stock, season with half the 4g of salt, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, cover, and simmer gently for about 25 minutes, until the carrots are completely soft and break apart when pressed with a spoon.
A gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, keeps the soup sweet — hard boiling dulls the carrots.
Done when: Carrots so soft they fall apart at a touch.
5 Mins Hot, about 70°C (158°F) — take care with steam
Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup with a stick blender until completely smooth and velvety, about 2 minutes. Stir in the 15g of maple syrup, the 30ml of lemon juice and the 10g of harissa, then taste and add the rest of the salt and the 2g of black pepper. If the soup is thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of hot water.
Blend in short bursts with the blender head fully under the surface, or hot soup will spray.
Done when: A smooth, glossy soup that coats the back of a spoon.
5 Mins Hot, about 70°C (158°F)
Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Spoon the warm 240g of chickpeas over the bowls, scatter with the chopped parsley, and pass extra harissa at the table for anyone who wants more heat.
Warm the bowls first with hot water — cold bowls steal the heat from a thin soup.
Done when: Hot, bright-orange soup with warm chickpeas and green parsley on top.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the soup hot with crusty bread for dipping, and keep the harissa and a lemon wedge on the table so each person can set their own heat and brightness.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
299
kcal / serving
Protein
9g
Complete AA
Carbs
48g
Complex
Fats
10g
Healthy
| Energy | 299 kcal |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Fibre | 12.1 g |
| Sugar | 17.8 g |
| Sodium | 1057 mg |
| Energy | 56 kcal |
| Protein | 1.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g |
| Fat | 1.8 g |
| Fibre | 2.2 g |
| Sugar | 3.3 g |
| Sodium | 197 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin A (carrots), vitamin C (carrots, lemon), potassium (carrots, chickpeas), folate (chickpeas), iron (chickpeas, cumin).
Carrots, Rich in Vitamin A
Carrots are one of the best sources of vitamin A, which supports normal vision and skin, and this soup carries a generous portion of it in every bowl.
Plant-Based and Light
At about 299 calories a bowl with no dairy and no meat, the soup is filling from fibre and chickpeas rather than from fat.
Ginger and Spice Warmth
Fresh ginger, cumin and cinnamon give the soup its warming character — the reason it is a cold-evening favourite.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Crusty Bread or Khobz
Bread is the Moroccan way to eat soup: it soaks up the spiced broth and turns a light bowl into a full lunch.
Orange and Olive Salad
Sweet orange slices with salty olives and a little cumin echo the soup's own flavours and add a cool, fresh contrast to the warm bowl.
Drinks
Mint Tea
Sweet, fragrant mint tea is the classic Moroccan finish — it cleanses the palate after the spices and rounds off the meal.
Vegetables
Warm Chickpeas with Cumin
The chickpeas spooned on top are already part of the dish, but a second small bowl of cumin-dusted chickpeas on the side adds protein and crunch, and turns the soup into a heartier dinner.
Complete menu
Serve the soup with warm khobz and a small salad of oranges and olives, then follow with mint tea and a few dates.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Adding Cream Without Thinking
A swirl of cream looks tempting, but it dulls the cumin and lemon that make this soup Moroccan — and it would turn a vegan soup into a dairy one. Taste it plain first, then decide. This is general food information, not medical advice.
Over-Salting a Salty Stock
Shop-bought stock can already be salty, so season at the end, not the start, or the soup turns too salty to fix. This is general food information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
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