Dietary Note: this recipe suits vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets. It’s low in cholesterol and saturated fats.
Introduction
Moroccan lentil soup is a hearty dish that captures the essence of North African cuisine.
This warming bowl can be perfectly complemented with pita bread or Couscous and elevated with toppings like quick-pickled red onions and yogurt tahini sauce.
The soup’s rustic, thick, and creamy consistency places it between lentil stew and chickpea stew.
While similar to a Mediterranean lentil soup in its foundation, this recipe incorporates spices that echo curries from the Indian subcontinent, particularly red lentil curry.
The dish shares aromatic notes with Eastern Mediterranean recipes like hummus, falafel, lentil mujadara, and muhammara.
For an authentic Moroccan meal, serve this lentil soup on top of our Moroccan Couscous with dried fruits, spices, and nuts.
The recipe welcomes additions like potatoes, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens like spinach and kale.
In a similar spirit, explore our Lentil Vegetable Soup and Turkish lentil soup for more nourishing one-pot meals.
Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a staple in Mediterranean cooking. It’s heart-healthy, packed with polyphenols, and adds a pleasant fruity flavor.
Substitute regular olive oil, avocado oil, or another vegetable oil for extra virgin olive oil.
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste enriches this Moroccan lentil soup with umami. We recommend it, but omitting it is not a deal breaker.
Spices
Some common spices used often in Moroccan lentil soups are:
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Turmeric powder
- Paprika
- Cinnamon
- Harissa, red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper.
In Moroccan cuisine, those spices are sometimes replaced by one spice to rule them all, called Ras El Hanout.
Ras El Hanout is a traditional spice mix that sometimes includes more than 40 different spices.
It’s a staple in Moroccan cooking. However, it can be hard to find outside of Morocco. That’s why we decided to recreate authentic Moroccan flavors using more common spices that you can find at your local supermarket.
Lentils
We recommend using brown, green, or black lentils, as they keep their shape better than red lentils.
You can use dried or canned lentils. We use, and recommend using dried green lentils.
We find that they taste better, you can control the amount of sodium you use, and, at least for us, they are much easier to digest than canned lentils.
If you use dried lentils, rinse them to remove dirt and small debris before adding them to the pot. They take 30 to 45 minutes to cook and don’t need to be soaked beforehand.
Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes, such as crushed or diced tomatoes, are best. Tomato puree or passata is also a good option.
Alternatively, you can use whole canned peeled tomatoes, but you must crush them with a fork before adding them to the soup.
If in season, you can also use ripe vine tomatoes.
Fresh herbs
Moroccan lentil soup often uses flat-leaf parsley and cilantro or fresh coriander. Pick your favorite.
Lemon juice
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is essential to balance out the warmth of the spices. Louise loves this so much she adds as much as half a lemon squeezed on top.
Honestly, don’t forget the lemon. It’s an essential ingredient.
Substitute fresh lime juice for lemon.
Serves well with:
How to make Moroccan Lentil Soup
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrot, and cook for 4 minutes or until translucent.
Stir in pressed garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and paprika, and cook for a minute or until the spices are fragrant.
Rinse the dried green lentils and stir them to coat them with the spice mixture.
Pour the vegetable broth and canned tomatoes, and season with salt and black pepper.
Stir well, cover with a lid, and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to low, crack the top open, and let it simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
Stir occasionally and add more vegetable broth as the soup thickens.
Once the lentils are cooked, use an immersion blender to puree only some of them – about a cup. You can blend more or less, depending on your preference.
You can also use a standing blender, but be cautious with the hot liquid if you do so.
Now stir in the cinnamon, then taste and adjust for salt.
Also, adjust the consistency of the Moroccan lentil soup to your liking by adding more broth or water.
Serving suggestions
Serve the Moroccan lentil soup hot. You can have it as a starter or main dish.
Don’t forget to add a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.
Serve it on Moroccan couscous or with pita bread to make it a nutritious and even more delicious meal.
For extra flavor, top it with thick Greek-style yogurt and quick pickled red onions. We also like to add a pinch of sumac (a red citrusy spice).
Variations
Add more vegetables
You can customize this Moroccan Lentil Soup by adding more vegetables.
We think you’ll love it with:
Potatoes: Peel them, cut them into bite-size pieces, and add them 15 minutes after you add the lentils. Potatoes take about 30 minutes to soften.
Leafy greens: try chopped kale, spinach, and chard. They take about 15 minutes to cook.
Sweet potatoes: peel them and chop them into bite-size pieces. They take about 20 minutes to soften.
Red bell pepper: chop it into bite-size pieces and add it to the lentils.
Moroccan red lentil soup
You can substitute red lentils for green or brown lentils and make a creamy and comforting red lentil soup. The cooking time will be 20 to 30 minutes, and the other ingredients will stay the same.
In this case, the soup will be more puree-like because the red lentils will lose shape as they cook. It’s similar to an Indian Dal or a Turkish Lentil Soup Recipe.
It’s still delicious but substantially different.
Tip
Consistency: Lents soak up a lot of liquid, so you’ll probably have to adjust and add more vegetable broth to reach your desired consistency.
The more the lentils cook, the more liquid you must add.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make ahead: Moroccan lentil soup is an excellent recipe for meal prep for the week. It keeps well for days and tastes even better the day after it’s made.
Refrigerator: Let the soup cool to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate it for 4 – 5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. First, let it cool down, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly container and freeze it.
Thaw and Reheat: Defrost it in the fridge for several hours. Warm it in the microwave or a saucepan on the stovetop. You might need to add more broth or water as you do so because the lentils will soak up some of the liquid.
Similar recipes
Moroccan Lentil Soup
Moroccan lentil soup is the perfect recipe to discover the aromatic flavors and heartwarming essence of Moroccan cuisine.
Earthy lentils are simmered in a flavorful broth with tomato and spices like cumin, paprika, turmeric, and a hint of cinnamon, creating a perfect balance of warmth and depth.
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 55 minutes mins
Servings: –+ – 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Moroccan
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