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Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup

4.67 from 3 votes

This Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup is one you’ll want to file in favourites and make soon . A rich tomato based soup, loaded with vegetables, lentils, chickpeas and so much spice. Serve it with a side of Leftover Pizza Dough Flatbread or Stovetop Nann Bread for a great meal.

Spiced soup with chickpeas in a bowl.
Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup

This soup is packed full of veggies, chickpeas and lentils so it is sure to keep you satisfied. If you’re a fan of warming and hearty soups, this one is a must try.

And if you looking for something in the non meatless version, why not check out my Italian Sausage and Tomato Stew….yum! Or if you want to dive head first into more delicious Moroccan food, you need to check out my Roasted Moroccan Chicken or my Beef & Squash Tagine.

Spiced moroccan soup in a pot.
Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup

What is This Soup Like

  • Difficulty – This soup is pretty straightforward and easy to make. However, it does have a long ingredient list and it takes about 2 1/2 from start to finish. The prep time isn’t long, but the cooking time to get the rich flavours and textures, takes about 2 hours. But it’s well worth the wait!
  • Taste – A rich tomato taste that’s loaded with spices, vegetables and legumes. It’s a hearty and filling soup and is a full meal all in itself.
  • Serving – This soup makes six generous servings as a main course. I’d probably serve it with some Fluffy Dinner Rolls.
Close up of spiced moroccan soup in a bowl.
Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup

Ingredients

  • Onion – I used a brown onion diced small for the soup.
  • Olive oil – Olive oil is used to cook the onion and vegetables.
  • Garlic – This soup uses fresh minced garlic for the best flavour.
  • Bay leaf – One bay leaf is added to the soup to enhance flavours.
  • Vegetables – I used both chopped carrots and celery in the soup.
  • Seasonings – This soup uses a mix of turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, chili flakes, salt and black pepper.
  • Tomatoes – I used whole can tomatoes in the soup.
  • Broth – This soup uses vegetable broth.
  • Legumes – I used both cooked chickpeas and cooked lentils in the soup.
  • Tomato paste – Tomato paste is used to add richness to the soup.
  • Vinegar – A small amount of white wine vinegar is added to the soup to add a bit of acidity.
  • Parsley – A small bunch of fresh chopped parsley is added to the soup when it’s finished cooking for freshness.

NOTE, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Ingredients to make spiced moroccan lentil soup.
Ingredients to Make Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup

Instructions

  1. Cook onions – In a large heavy bottomed pot set over high heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil and the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened. This will take 5 – 8 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaf and stir to incorporate. Cook for a further minute.
  2. Cook vegetables – Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the diced carrots and celery. Stir really well to incorporate and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin coriander and chili flakes. Stir really well and cook for about two minutes.
  3. Add the whole can tomatoes and stir well. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon so they break up into smaller pieces. Pour in the vegetable broth, add the tomato paste, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add the chickpeas and lentils. Stgir well and bring to a boil for about one minute. Cover, reduce heat to low and leave to cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir the soup while it’s cooking. Add more broth if the soup becomes too thick.
  4. Add parsley and serve – Add fresh chopped parsley and stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve.

Recipe Notes

  • Make sure to fry the spices – The spices are added with the vegetables at the frying stage. Make sure not to skip this as it adds so much more flavour to the finished soup.
  • Add more vegetable broth if needed – I used about 4 1/2 cups of vegetable broth for this soup. It was a perfect rich consistency between a soup and a stew. If your soup is too thick at the end of cooking, add about 1/2 cup of extra broth.
  • Freezing instructions – Place the cooled soup in freezer proof bags or containers. Freeze up to two months. Allow the soup to defrost in the fridge and reheat on the stove top until hot.
Close up of spiced moroccan soup.
Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup

Substitutions and Flavour Changes

  • Whole can tomatoes – You could use a large can of crushed tomatoes.
  • Cooked brown lentils – You can cook your own lentils for this recipe but I do recommend using brown lentils. Lentils will cook in about 30 minutes and they don’t require soaking.
  • Cooked chickpeas – Alternatively, you can use dry chickpeas. Dry chickpeas need to be soaked for about 12 hours prior to cooking. Then you can boil the chickpeas on the stovetop for about 2 hours or until they are soft.
  • Vegetable broth – You could slightly change the flavour of the soup by using chicken broth.
  • Parsley – You could opt for fresh cilantro.
  • Additions – Add shredded chicken or shredded pork to make it a bigger meal.
Spiced moroccan soup in two bowls.
Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup

Serving

Like most soups, this one goes great with a side of any bread. Here’s a few that you might like to try out!

Close up of spiced moroccan soup.
Moroccan Spiced Soup

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Moroccan spices?

Moroccan food is infused with so many flavourful spices. A few of the most commonly used Moroccan spices are cumin, ginger, coriander, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper.

Do you need to remove the skins from chickpeas?

Chickpeas have a skin on them after cooking. This skin comes off very easily and can be discarded. However, you do not need to remove the skin of the chickpeas.

Moroccan soup with chickpeas and tomatoes in a bowl.
Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup



Close up of spiced moroccan soup.
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Spiced Moroccan Soup

This Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup is one you'll want to file in favourites and make soon . A rich tomato based soup, loaded with vegetables, lentils, chickpeas and so much spice. Serve it with a side of Leftover Pizza Dough Flatbread or Stovetop Nann Bread for a great meal.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Moroccan
Keyword: Spice, vegeterian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 413kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

  • 1 medium brown onion diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 medium carrots peeled and sliced cross ways into about 1/2 inch pieces
  • 4 medium celery ribs diced into about 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 28 oz can whole tomatoes
  • 4 1/2 cups vegetable stock more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 2 cups cooked lentils
  • small bunch of fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

  • In a large heavy bottomed pot set over high heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil and the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened. This will take 5 – 8 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaf and stir to incorporate. Cook for a further minute.
  • Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the diced carrots and celery. Stir really well to incorporate and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili flakes. Stir really well and cook for about two minutes.
  • Add the whole can tomatoes and stir well. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon so they break up into smaller pieces. Pour in the vegetable broth, add the tomato paste, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add the chickpeas and lentils. Stir well and bring to a boil for about one minute. Cover, reduce heat to low and leave to cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir the soup occasionally while it's cooking. Add more broth if the soup becomes too thick.
  • Add fresh chopped parsley and stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

  1. Make sure to fry the spices – The spices are added with the vegetables at the frying stage. Make sure not to skip this as it adds so much more flavour to the finished soup.
  2. Add more vegetable broth if needed – I used about 4 1/2 cups of vegetable broth for this soup. It was a perfect rich consistency between a soup and a stew. If your soup is too thick at the end of cooking, add about 1/2 cup of extra broth.
  3. Freezing instructions – Place the cooled soup in freezer proof bags or containers. Freeze up to two months. Allow the soup to defrost in the fridge and reheat on the stove top until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Spiced Moroccan Soup
Amount Per Serving (1 bowl of soup)
Calories 413 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 1g
Sodium 788mg34%
Potassium 1469mg42%
Carbohydrates 74g25%
Fiber 31g129%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 11767IU235%
Vitamin C 28mg34%
Calcium 112mg11%
Iron 8mg44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

By on January 8th, 2024
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About Julia Pinney

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2 Comments on “Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup”

  1. 5 stars
    Hi Julia. A great soup on a snowy cold NL day! To keep with the Moroccan theme, I added a touch of cinnamon to the spices, and topped with finely chopped apricot. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Hi Sandra! How are you? Great that you liked the soup. I first started making this more than 20 years ago and it had a lot of changes along the way. Happy you liked it and the apricots sound like a great addition. Yes, perfect for snowy Newfoundland!

      Reply

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