Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup

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Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup- made with a blend of Moroccan-inspired spices, this lentil soup is packed full of flavor and nourishing nutrition. (vegan + gluten-free)

Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup- made with a blend of Moroccan-inspired spices, this lentil soup is packed full of flavor and nutrition. (vegan + gluten-free)

I always thought it would be nice to have a winter baby but now I’m realizing that means spending even more time holed up at home than it would if I had him any other time of year. Right now the weather is gloomy and everyone is sick. I’m itching for sunshine and human interaction!

While most of us might be dreaming of spring, there are still plenty of cozy soups and stews to help hold us over. This is one of my absolute favorites because it has such a unique blend of ingredients that feel extra nourishing to the body. It’s the perfect cure when you’re feeling under the weather.

Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup- made with a blend of Moroccan-inspired spices, this lentil soup is packed full of flavor and nutrition. (vegan + gluten-free)

Healing Moroccan Soup Ingredients

  • Fennel and Carrots- fresh fennel and carrots add texture and flavor. We really enjoy the fresh fennel in this soup but you can always make it without if you’re unable to find it.
  • Onion and Garlic- these two make up the base of the soup and add flavor to the broth.
  • Lentils- I typically go for brown lentils in this soup but have also used green and it was still delicious. You can also use red lentils but they tend to absorb less broth so you might want to reduce the liquid in that case. They also take less time to cook so you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. To help with digestion, I prefer to soak the lentils in water for at least a few hours or up to overnight.
  • Sweet Potato- paired with the lentils, sweet potato makes for a heartier soup. So long as it’s properly cleaned you can leave the skin on to save time.
  • Cumin, Turmeric, Coriander, Cayenne and Cinnamon- the savory blend of spices paired with just a touch of cinnamon adds delicious and healing vibes to the broth. It makes the ingredient list look lengthy but most of them are easy to find at major grocery stores.
  • Vegetable Broth- Using a flavorful broth is key to making this soup delicious. My favorite is Better Than Bouillon.
  • Lemon Juice- I love adding lemon juice to almost all of my soups and stews because it gives it that extra flair. It’s especially good in this recipe as the sour helps balance out the sweet from the potatoes, carrots, and cinnamon. Please don’t skip it!

Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup- made with a blend of Moroccan-inspired spices, this lentil soup is packed full of flavor and nutrition. (vegan + gluten-free)

How to Make Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup

What’s great about this soup is that it’s makes for easy clean up in just one pot!

  1. First we sauté the vegetables in olive oil.
  2. Next we add the spices with 1 cup broth and bring to a boil then let them infuse the broth with their flavorful goodness.
  3. Then we add the potato and lentils with the remaining broth and cook until tender.
  4. Lastly, we squeeze in fresh lemon juice, garnish with cilantro and it’s ready to eat!

Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup- made with a blend of Moroccan-inspired spices, this lentil soup is packed full of flavor and nutrition. (vegan + gluten-free)

Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup- made with a blend of Moroccan-inspired spices, this lentil soup is packed full of flavor and nutrition. (vegan + gluten-free)

Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup- made with a blend of Moroccan-inspired spices, this lentil soup is packed full of flavor and nutrition. (vegan + gluten-free)

Please don’t be deterred by the long ingredient list! If you have a well stocked spice rack then you really only need to pick up the produce and you’re good to go.

Just make sure not to leave out the squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It pairs really well with the spices and gives it a nice pop of flavor at the end. I’m telling you, winter soup doesn’t get much better than this!

Looking for more soup recipes? Check these out:

Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup- made with a blend of Moroccan-inspired spices, this lentil soup is packed full of flavor and nutrition. (vegan + gluten-free)

Print Recipe
4.96 from 25 votes

Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup

Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup- made with a blend of Moroccan-inspired spices, this lentil soup is packed full of flavor and nutrition.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time50 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 1 cup lentils, brown or green, soaked*
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
  • 2 large carrots, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 medium-size sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  • In large pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion,fennel, carrot and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant.
  • To the pot, add 1 cup of the vegetable broth along with the spices (cumin to cinnamon). Bring to a low boil and cook for 10 minutes so that the liquid reduces by approximately 1/3.
  • Pour in the remaining broth along with the sweet potato and rinsed lentils then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils and potato are tender.
  • Remove the pot from the heat then squeeze in the lemon juice and stir together. Ladle into individual bowls for serving and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

*this recipe assumes the lentils have been soaked for at least 6 hours (or overnight) and then rinsed. I prefer to do this to make them easier to digest. If you would like to skip that step then you’ll need to add an additional 2 cups of vegetable broth to the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1286mg, Potassium: 987mg, Fiber: 19g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 10619IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 95mg, Iron: 5mg
Course: dinner, Soup
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
by Sarah on February 16, 2020  //  Fall, Recipes, Recipes by Season, Soup, Winter
57 Comments »