Hlalem's defining feature is its pasta: semolina and flour dough is hand-rolled into thin strings, then each piece is pinched and twisted between thumb and forefinger into 1.5 cm segments, spread on sieves, and sun-dried. French Wikipedia documents that Tunisian women traditionally gathered on afternoon visits to make hlalem communally, the repetitive pinching requiring little focused attention — permitting easy conversation. The dried pasta stores through winter and rehydrates readily in broth. The soup's Ramadan prominence is matched by a parallel Tunisian Jewish tradition: hlalem with lentils is the prescribed dish to break the Tisha B'Av fast (the 9th of Av), meaning this one pasta anchors both Muslim and Jewish fasting calendars in Tunisia. Kaddid — spiced, salt-cured, sun-dried lamb — is the traditional protein; its concentrated savory depth develops during months of curing.
Chewy sun-dried pasta with rough edges grips the thick broth; chickpeas give soft, floury bursts; kaddid lends resinous, concentrated salinity that no fresh meat can replicate.
Sun-drying after shaping lowers water activity and hardens the gluten network, so hlalem pasta resists overcooking far better than fresh pasta. During simmering, starch granules in the semolina pasta gelatinize while the rough surface releases amylose into the broth, gradually thickening it. Kaddid undergoes proteolytic and oxidative changes during dry-curing that concentrate amino acids; simmering for 45+ minutes solubilizes those flavors into the broth. Legume cell walls soften and amylopectin from chickpeas and lentils dissolves, further thickening the soup to a velvety consistency.
Variations
Kaddid can be swapped for fresh lamb or merguez sausage in summer; a fully vegetarian variant uses only chickpeas, lentils, and fava beans; the Tunisian Jewish Tisha B'Av version is exclusively lentil-based with no meat.
On the Palate
Where Hlelem sits in the Tunisian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 50 min
- 110 min
Soak chickpeas overnight in cold water. If using kaddid, rinse briefly under warm water to reduce excess salt, then cut into small chunks.
- 240 min
Prepare hlalem pasta (ideally the day before): knead semolina, flour, water, and oil into a firm dough; roll into thin strings and pinch off 1.5 cm pieces, pressing each between thumb and forefinger. Spread on sieves and sun-dry until firm, or oven-dry at 80 °C for 30 minutes.
Watch outSun- or oven-dry the pinched pasta until firm — the drying hardens it so it holds up in the long simmer instead of dissolving to mush.
- 35 min
Sauté diced onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft; stir in tomato concentrate and harissa and cook 3 minutes.
- 45 min
Add 1.5 L water, drained chickpeas, kaddid chunks, tabel spice blend, caraway, coriander, and turmeric; bring to a boil.
- 540 min
Reduce to a steady simmer; cook 40 minutes until chickpeas are nearly tender.
Watch outSimmer until the chickpeas are nearly tender before adding the rest — under this point they stay hard and won't soften later in the acidic broth.
- 615 min
Add lentils or fava beans; simmer a further 15 minutes.
- 712 min
Add the dried hlalem pasta; stir and cook 10–12 minutes until the pasta is tender and the broth has thickened naturally.
Watch outAdd the dried pasta last and cook until tender as the broth thickens on its own — its released starch is what bodies up the soup.
- 83 min
Taste and adjust salt; serve immediately, very hot.
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