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Moroccan Red Lentil Soup is a comforting soup recipe that is easy to make and perfect for the freezer. The warm, rich spices of cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika and turmeric mix together perfectly to create a flavorful soup. You will love this hearty soup!
Today’s recipe, Moroccan Red Lentil Soup, is comforting. The warm, rich spices of cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika and tumeric mix together perfectly to create a flavorful soup. The wonderful smell of spices simmering in this soup remind me of my Grandma’s kitchen growing up. There is something about soup that can really warm the soul.
I spent most of last week eating this soup for lunch and even had some leftover to freeze. This Moroccan Red Lentil Soup is easy to make and simmers on the stove while you go about your day. If you are a fan of lentil soup, I suggest you give this one a try… make a big batch, invite your loved ones over and enjoy!
If you love lentil soups you also need to try this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Moroccan Red Lentil Soup and this Red Lentil Coconut Soup but nothing like theirs. All of these are variations of a vegan lentil soup. Some other lentil recipes that you might like are this Chicken and Lentil Soup, Lentil Feta Salad, Lentil Mushroom Stew, Lentil Sweet Potato Stew or this Slow Cooker Lentil Soup.
Why You Will Love this Moroccan Red Lentil Soup
We love this flavorful soup. Here is why we love it:
• Vegan: This soup is vegan, gluten-free and protein packed. It offers you a good serving of veggies from the carrots and spinach.
• Freezer-Friendly: I love that this soup freezes so well. Make a big batch of it and save half for later. Portion it out so you can pull it out when you need a healthy lunch option.
• Flavor: You honestly can’t beat the spice mixture in this soup. It is so warm, rich and just pure comforting.
Recipe Ingredients
You will love this easy recipe and the simple ingredients it uses. It is one of my favorite recipes!
- Vegetables: This soup is loaded with delicious vegetables. It uses carrots, celery, onion and tomatoes.
- Lentils: Red lentils are the star of this recipe. Make sure to rinse them and pick through them to get any rocks or other things that shouldn’t be mixed in out of the lentils.
- Spices: You will love the combination of spices in this soup. It mixes together coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika and cinnamon.
- Vegetable Broth: I used vegetable broth but you can sub in chicken broth or chicken stock also.
How to Make this Moroccan Red Lentil Soup
Step 1: Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a Dutch over or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté until tender (about 3-4 minutes).
Step 2: Add Spices: Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes stirring the whole time.
Step 3: Add Remaining Ingredients and Simmer: Add the broth, tomatoes, and lentils stir well and heat to a boil. Simmer uncovered on low heat for about 20 minutes {until the lentils are tender}, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Puree Half of the Soup: Remove the soup from the heat and ladle half of the soup into a large mixing bowl. Carefully blend half of the soup in a separate container with an immersion blender which is a hand blender (or use a blender) in small batches if necessary. Return the blended half of the soup back to the pot and mix well.
Step 5: Add Lemon Juice: Stir in the lemon juice, red pepper flakes, parsley and cilantro, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Serve hot with warm pita bread or bread of your choice. Garnish with extra parsley and cilantro if you desire.
A tip before freezing: allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then put it in an airtight container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat it let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight. Then when you are ready to eat it, warm it up on the stove over low heat until it is warmed through.
Cooking Tips and Variations
- Beans: Add additional protein to the soup by adding chickpeas or white beans.
- Vegetables: I enjoy extra vegetables in this soup. Try cauliflower, jalapeños for spice, potatoes or sweet potatoes.
- Garnishes: Garnishes are always a great way to take a soup to the next level. Some garnishes I love in this lentil soup is feta cheese {of course the soup won’t be vegan if you use feta}, fresh cilantro and parsley, Greek or plain yogurt swirled in to create a thicker, creamier soup.
- Protein: For those that want to add meat to the soup try adding sausage, diced chicken, ground pork or even some crispy bacon.
- Lentils: I like red lentils because they break down and become soft. With this soup I blend it, or at least half of it, but you can easily eat this soup as is. If you have brown or green lentils on hand you can swap those in or use half red and half brown or green. Some people prefer the texture of the green or brown-so that is totally up to you!
Storage Tips
- Store the leftover soup in the fridge for up to 7 days in an airtight container. You can reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
- You also can freeze this soup! It makes a great meal-prep option. Make sure the soup cools completely and then store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
More Lentil Soup Recipes
Vegetarian
Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup
Mediterranean
Lemon Lentil Soup Recipe
Mediterranean
Lebanese Lentil Soup
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Moroccan Red Lentil Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery , chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Dash of pepper
- 8 cups vegetable broth, low sodium if possible
- 1-15 ounce can crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes
- 2 cups red lentils, picked over, washed and rinsed until water runs clean
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, fresh chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, fresh chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch over or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté until tender (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes stirring the whole time.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, and lentils stir well and heat to a boil.
- Simmer uncovered on low heat for about 20 minutes {until the lentils are tender}, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the soup from the heat and ladle half of the soup into a large mixing bowl. Carefully blend half of the soup in a separate container with an immersion blender which is a hand blender (or use a blender) in small batches if necessary. Return the blended half of the soup back to the pot and mix well.
- Stir in the lemon juice, red pepper flakes, parsley and cilantro, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Serve hot with warm pita bread or bread of your choice. Garnish with extra parsley and cilantro if you desire.
Notes
- I liked blending half of the soup so create a semi-pureed soup with some chunks. If you prefer a chunky soup then you do not need to blend the soup at all.
- I like to use an immersion/hand blender because it provides a little chunkier texture than a blender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My friend told me about this soup. And I have been making this soup for 10 years now. It’s marvellous. I keep coming back to it and will
Never get bored of it. Thank you
So glad you like it!
I ran across this recipe a few weeks back as I am always on the search for vegetarian/vegan soup recipes. Most of the veggie soups I make kind of winding up tasting the same and was looking for something new and exciting. Boy did I find it! This soup is wonderful and so easy to adjust to your own taste. I made this right before Thanksgiving and went on and on about how lovely it was that I was asked to make some for Christmas! Like others in the comments (and as suggested by original poster) I added more veggies …and also upped the seasoning, didnt change them just increased them. I am here, in Houston, on a cloudy, getting ready to rain Saturday and getting ready to start another huge pot of this for the upcoming week.
Thanks so much for the recipe and the inspiration …btw, also subscribed to your site!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it! I love lentils soups and I feel like this is one that works well for the holidays or just meals during the week. Thanks for being here!
I love lentil soups, and this may be my favourite now. The ONLY substitutions I made was using 1 cup of tomato/basil sauce (did not have 15 Oz of crushed tomatoes) and extra water. I also did not have parsley or cilantro. I used chicken stock and extra salt to taste. It was amazing! It had a very complex taste with all the spices. I put a dollop of plain yogurt on top. I have a lot of the soup left, so I’m going out to buy some cilantro for tonight, and making some naan to go with it! So very delicious! Thank you!
Thank you for your kind words. I love the modifications you made. Thanks for sharing them!
This soup is absolutely delicious! Perfect for a cold and rainy day in December!
Thank you! I love it so much and make it often.
Two comments in one day is a record for me! After reviewing your wonderful kale salad, I happened upon this recipe. This is the long-lost recipe I forgot to bookmark, and I’m thrilled to find it again. I’ve been making it for years, and everyone loves it! The only small tweaks I make are adding a few more cloves of garlic, and sauteing the red lentils with the veggies before adding the broth. Julia, you are wonderful.
Aww thanks for the kind comments! I am so glad you enjoy this recipe. It is one of our favorites that we make time and time again!
I have lived in Kuwait for many many years and lentils are a big part of Arabian Gulf cooking. Red lentil soups are my personal fave and I make some version or another once a week and eat it all week long with toasted pita and fresh Greek yogurt. I have your version simmering on the stove now and can’t wait to try a bowl with the added cinnamon and paprika spices.
I love this idea! I bet living in Kuwait you tried a lot of great lentil dishes. I hope your enjoy my version!
Just made this soup and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I am so glad to hear you liked it!
This was amazing! I followed the instructions and it turned out perfectly, except that the red lentils were still undercooked after 45 minutes over the heat. Any suggestions?
Glad you liked it. That is weird that the lentils weren’t done after the much cook time. Did you simmer it the whole time? I guess I would say to simmer them until they are soft…maybe 10-15 more minutes?
Hi
I was wondering if the vegetable broth could be subbed for water? If so, do any other modifications need to made? Thanks!
This recipe calls for all vegetable broth- I don’t see where it says water? You can also use chicken broth in its place or maybe half broth and half water. I wouldn’t suggest all water because I think it will have less flavor but you could try it.
Amazing recipe! Thank you so much! I didnt have all spices on hand so used a tablespoon and a half or ras el hanout. I add canellini beans, zucchini and chopped chicken breast in the last 10 minutes to help bulk up the soup for a hungry family and it was phenomenal. Thank you so much for sharing!
I love your additional! I have to try that to bulk up the soup some time. Thank you so much for sharing.