16 grams of protein in every bowl of this cozy Moroccan Lentil Soup.
We’re in the last legs of winter, so we’re revisiting my five most popular soup recipes.
This is recipe 1/5 in the series!
Moroccan Lentil Soup
serves 4
🍲 1 tbsp olive oil
🍲 1 cup minced onion
🍲 1 red bell pepper, diced
🍲 1/2 tsp kosher salt
🍲 2 cloves garlic, minced
🍲 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
🍲 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
🍲 1/2 tsp ground coriander
🍲 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
🍲 1/4 tsp ground ginger
🍲 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
🍲 black pepper
🍲 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
🍲 5 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
🍲 1 bay leaf
🍲 3 cups diced sweet potato
🍲 1/2 cup dried red lentils
🍲 1 tbsp lemon juice
🍲 plain or Greek yogurt and naan, for serving (optional)
1. Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add onion and bell peppers. Sprinkle salt over top.
2. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (Don’t rush this step as it will give the soup the most flavor.)
3. Add garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and a few turns of black pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour in crushed tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer.
5. Stir in potatoes and lentils. Cover pot and simmer (reduce heat as needed) until both potatoes and lentils are tender, 15 to 25 minutes. (Note: The cook time for red lentils can vary based on their age)
6. Remove soup from heat and stir in lemon juice. Discard bay leaf.
7. Taste soup and season with some more salt if needed. Serve soup with yogurt and / or parsley on top and warm pita bread on the side.