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Creamy Moroccan Lentil Soup
Deeply savory and packed with warming spices, this hearty soup brings together two types of lentils and tender root vegetables. You'll build a rich flavor base with turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon before simmering everything in vegetable broth. A final pour of coconut milk adds a creamy finish that perfectly balances the earthy notes. It's a comforting, vegetable-heavy bowl that's guaranteed to warm you up on chilly evenings.
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Stovetop
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 bunch small carrots, diced
- 2 small potatoes (12 ounces / 340 g), diced
- 1 cup (140 g) cubed butternut squash
- 1 cup (130 g) cubed sweet potatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (200 g) French green lentils (but any will work)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8½ cups (2 L) vegetable stock
- 1 cup (200 g) red lentils
- 1 (13.5-ounce / 400 ml) can coconut milk Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 cups (130 g) baby spinach
Instructions
- 1Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- 2Stir in the diced onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and sliced garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Taking the time to sweat the vegetables builds a sweeter, deeper flavor base.
- 3Stir in the turmeric, cumin, ginger, smoked paprika, cinnamon, fine sea salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant and evenly distributed. Blooming the spices in oil wakes up their essential oils for maximum flavor.
- 4Mix in the green lentils and tomato paste. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes before pouring in the vegetable stock.
- 5Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- 6Stir the red lentils into the pot and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Adding the red lentils later prevents them from turning completely to mush while the green lentils finish cooking.
- 7Pour in the coconut milk and lemon juice, then fold in the baby spinach. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the spinach wilts. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with your choice of sour cream, chile oil, fresh herbs, or a squeeze of lime.
Notes
- Storage: Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually improve the next day.
- Freezing: Freeze the soup for up to 3 months. The potatoes might soften slightly upon thawing, but the soup remains delicious.
- Prep tip: To save time, buy pre-chopped butternut squash and sweet potatoes from the produce section.