Hunger-crushing lentils meet creamy coconut milk and bold Moroccan spices. This hearty soup is packed with protein, veggies--and most importantly--tons of flavor!
Meals with Moroccan and Middle Eastern flavors are always some of my favorites! Unfortunately, in order to achieve those deep flavors, you tend to need a lot of ingredients.
This recipe for Moroccan Lentil Soup is no exception. As you’ll see in a moment, the ingredients list is indeed lengthy, but hear me out! I have a few suggestions for how to get through it more easily.
Any time you are working with mirepoix--you know that classic trio of onions, carrots, and celery--you can always dice and mix the three together in advance. This makes it easy when it comes time to dump them in your dutch oven and get the sauté going.
There are also many different spices in this soup, but I’ve designed this recipe in a way that they all get added at the same time! This means you can pre-measure and mix your spice blend together ahead of time--saving you the hassle of rooting around the kitchen drawer for the right measuring spoon when you’ve already got that hot pot working on the stove.
Other shortcuts: I always peel and mince my garlic cloves ahead of time and keep them in a small bowl to the side until I need them, I quickly break the cauliflower head into florets up front, and I always try to juice lemons before I even turn on the stove!
By taking a few minutes ahead of time to prep the ingredients and batch them accordingly, you can tackle a multi-ingredient recipe with ease and be enjoying the complex flavors of a Moroccan meal in no time. You can do this!
Table of Contents
Moroccan Lentil Soup Ingredients
- Avocado oil - I love using this neutrally flavored oil for sautéing veggies, as it has a mild taste and a high smoke point--meaning it won’t burn as easily. You could use regular olive oil instead, but I recommend staying away from extra virgin olive oil here.
- Onion + Carrot + Celery - These 3 veggies create the classic “mirepoix” combo--a starting point for many soups, stews, and braised dishes. They work together to build an aromatic and vegetal base flavor for your soup, plus they give great color and crunch!
- Ground cumin - A staple seasoning in Moroccan cuisine, cumin adds a smoky, earthy flavor to this soup.
- Turmeric powder - This spice has a very complex flavor--boasting bitter, citrusy, and sweet notes all at the same time! It also gives your lentil soup its characteristic yellow coloring.
- Ginger powder - For a hint of spice and warmth.
- Smoked paprika - This is one of my favorite seasonings--I use it all the time! It offers all the punchy sweetness of regular paprika, but with a super smoky twist.
- Sea salt - Very important to this soup, as the lentils and vegetables in this soup will be soaking up a lot of flavor and rely on the enhancement that salt brings to the table.
- Garlic - Pungent and savory, a couple cloves of fresh garlic take the flavor of this soup to another level.
- Green lentils + Red lentils - I like to use both green and red lentils in this soup. Green lentils have a tougher skin so they tend to hold their shape better when cooked, while red lentils have a lovely nutty flavor and softer, creamier texture.
- Vegetable stock - Gives much more flavor than using water as your soup base. You can use either store bought or homemade veggie stock if you have it.
- Tomato sauce - Adds acidity and umami flavor to your lentil soup. You don’t need much--so use any tomato sauce you have kicking around the fridge, canned diced tomatoes, or even a scoop of tomato paste will do the trick.
- Cauliflower florets - Cauliflower + cumin is one of my all-time favorite flavor pairings, so it only makes sense that a few cauliflower florets should make it into this smoky Moroccan-spiced lentil soup! Use fresh or frozen, whatever you prefer.
- Coconut milk - A swirl of coconut milk finishes this soup off with a creamy richness that echoes the Moroccan flavors nicely.
- Fresh spinach - I always feel good including a few leafy greens in a recipe, plus they add a nice contrast of color and texture.
- Lemon juice - For a final dose of acidity and brightness! You can add fresh lemon juice into the soup itself like I do, or serve each bowl with lemon wedges for squeezing at the table.
- Whipped coconut cream + Fresh chili peppers - I always garnish my creamy lentil soup with a dollop of whipped coconut cream (unsweetened!) and whole or sliced hot peppers--for those who dare!
How to Make Moroccan Lentil Soup
- Sauté aromatics. Heat avocado oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, chopped carrot, and diced celery. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the veggies are slightly softened.
- Add seasonings. Season the vegetable mixture with ground cumin, turmeric powder, ginger powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and chopped garlic. Stir until the veggies are evenly cooked with the spices and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add lentils. Pour your green and red lentils (make sure they have been rinsed and drained first!) into the soup pot and stir to combine.
- Add liquids and simmer. Stir in vegetable stock and tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to low-medium heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Cook cauliflower. Add cauliflower florets, stir, and allow the soup to simmer for about 5 more minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
- Add final ingredients. Pour in coconut milk, then toss in fresh spinach leaves and a splash of lemon juice.
- Wilt spinach. Stir the soup, allowing the spinach to wilt. This should only take a minute or two!
- Garnish and serve! Ladle your Moroccan lentil soup into serving bowls and top each with a big dollop of whipped coconut cream and fresh chili peppers if you like.
Chef Tips
Rinsing your lentils is important!
Due to their harvesting and processing, lentils are often coated in grit or dust, and from time to time a small pebble or rock fragment may even be mixed in. Rinse and drain your lentils to remove the dust and debris and give them a once over to make sure there is nothing unwanted mixed in.
Watch me make Moroccan Lentil Soup
How to Store
Refrigerating. Allow the soup to cool down, then pack it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing. If you want to store it for longer--or have made an extra big batch!--you can freeze this Moroccan lentil soup. Just keep in mind the texture of the lentils and vegetables may be a bit mushy once defrosted, but it will still taste great! Pack the cooled soup into freezer-safe airtight containers or zip-top freezer bags, making sure to leave enough space at the top for the liquid to expand when it freezes. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Thawing. The night before you plan to eat your frozen lentil soup, transfer it to the fridge and let it thaw slowly overnight. You can reheat it directly from frozen, but this will degrade the texture of the lentils and veggies even further so I do advise letting it thaw first.
Reheating. Place your leftover Moroccan lentil soup in a saucepan over medium heat and heat it gently, stirring often, until warm. The soup may thicken up quite a bit during storage so feel free to add a splash of vegetable stock or additional coconut milk to return it to whatever consistency you prefer.
📋 Recipe
Moroccan Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ cup green lentils, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup red lentils, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Optional garnishes: whipped coconut cream and fresh chili peppers, as desired
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until slightly softened.
- Season the vegetable mixture with the ground cumin, turmeric powder, ginger powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and chopped garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.
- Pour your rinsed, drained green and red lentils into the soup pot and stir to combine.
- Stir in the vegetable stock and tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to low-medium heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower florets, stir, and allow the soup to simmer for about 5 more minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
- Pour in the coconut milk, then stir in the fresh spinach and lemon juice.
- Allow the spinach to wilt, stirring to ensure even heating. It should only take 1-2 minutes.
- Ladle your Moroccan lentil soup into serving bowls and garnish with the whipped coconut cream and fresh chili peppers as desired.
Leave a Reply