Discover the soul-warming magic of Moroccan lentil soup, where centuries of culinary tradition come together in every fragrant spoonful.
Tender lentils transform into pure comfort as they mix with a richly spiced tomato broth seasoned with cumin, paprika, and turmeric, adding golden warmth.
This cherished recipe comes together effortlessly in a single pot, proving that kitchen staples can become extraordinary.
Table of Contents
Dietary Note: this recipe suits vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets. It’s low in cholesterol and saturated fats.
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What is Moroccan lentil soup?
Moroccan lentil soup is a hearty dish that captures the essence of North African cuisine.
This warming bowl can be perfectly complemented with pita bread or Couscous and elevated with toppings like quick-pickled red onions and yogurt tahini sauce.
The soup’s rustic, thick, and creamy consistency places it between lentil stew and chickpea stew.
It joins the pantheon of beloved Moroccan dishes like Harira (Soup), Zaalouk (Eggplant Salad), and Moroccan Carrot Salad.
While similar to a Mediterranean lentil soup in its foundation, this recipe incorporates spices that echo curries from the Indian subcontinent, particularly red lentil curry.
The dish shares aromatic notes with Eastern Mediterranean recipes like hummus, falafel, lentil mujadara, and muhammara.
For an authentic Moroccan meal, serve this lentil soup on top of our Moroccan Couscous with dried fruits, spices, and nuts.
The recipe welcomes additions like potatoes, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens like spinach and kale.
In a similar spirit, explore our Lentil Vegetable Soup and Turkish lentil soup for more nourishing one-pot meals.
Ingredients for Moroccan Lentil soup
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a staple in Mediterranean cooking. It’s heart-healthy, packed with polyphenols, and adds a pleasant fruity flavor.
Substitute regular olive oil, avocado oil, or another vegetable oil for extra virgin olive oil.
Onion
The onion adds sweetness. You can use white, red, or yellow onion. Substitute a shallot for the onion.
Carrot
Carrots also add sweetness when gently cooked in olive oil.
Celery
Celery is to balance the sweetness of carrots and onions. It adds freshness and crunch.
Garlic
Use fresh garlic, and avoid garlic powder if possible. You can press, mince, or grate it.
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste enriches this Moroccan lentil soup with umami. We recommend it, but omitting it is not a deal breaker.
Spices
Some common spices used often in Moroccan lentil soups are:
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Turmeric powder
- Paprika
- Cinnamon
- Harissa, red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper.
In Moroccan cuisine, those spices are sometimes replaced by one spice to rule them all, called Ras El Hanout.
Ras El Hanout is a traditional spice mix that sometimes includes more than 40 different spices.
It’s a staple in Moroccan cooking. However, it can be hard to find outside of Morocco. That’s why we decided to recreate authentic Moroccan flavors using more common spices that you can find at your local supermarket.
Lentils
We recommend using brown, green, or black lentils, as they keep their shape better than red lentils.
You can use dried or canned lentils. We use, and recommend using dried green lentils.
We find that they taste better, you can control the amount of sodium you use, and, at least for us, they are much easier to digest than canned lentils.
If you use dried lentils, rinse them to remove dirt and small debris before adding them to the pot. They take 30 to 45 minutes to cook and don’t need to be soaked beforehand.
If you use canned lentils, drain and rinse them well. They are pre-cooked and require about 15 minutes of simmering to become flavorful.
To learn more about this wonderful legume, here’s our guide on how to cook lentils.
Vegetable Broth
We recommend a low-sodium vegetable broth.
Substitute water for vegetable broth; in this case, add a bit more salt.
Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes, such as crushed or diced tomatoes, are best. Tomato puree or passata is also a good option.
Alternatively, you can use whole canned peeled tomatoes, but you must crush them with a fork before adding them to the soup.
If in season, you can also use ripe vine tomatoes.
Fresh herbs
Moroccan lentil soup often uses flat-leaf parsley and cilantro or fresh coriander. Pick your favorite.
Salt & Black Pepper
We recommend sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Lemon juice
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is essential to balance out the warmth of the spices. Louise loves this so much she adds as much as half a lemon squeezed on top.
Honestly, don’t forget the lemon. It’s an essential ingredient.
Substitute fresh lime juice for lemon.
Serves well with
- Moroccan Couscous: pile the Couscous on a plate, pushing down the center with a spoon to make a well, and top with the soup.
- Pita bread: or some other type of Arabic bread like Kobhz.
- Quick pickled red onions: to add freshness, crunch, and tanginess.
- Yogurt: we recommend plain Greek-style yogurt or non-dairy yogurt. Excellent is also our Yogurt Tahini Sauce.
How to make Moroccan Lentil Soup
US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrot, and cook for 4 minutes or until translucent.
Stir in pressed garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and paprika, and cook for a minute or until the spices are fragrant.
Rinse the dried green lentils and stir them to coat them with the spice mixture.
Pour the vegetable broth and canned tomatoes, and season with salt and black pepper.
Stir well, cover with a lid, and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to low, crack the top open, and let it simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
Stir occasionally and add more vegetable broth as the soup thickens.
Once the lentils are cooked, use an immersion blender to puree only some of them – about a cup. You can blend more or less, depending on your preference.
You can also use a standing blender, but be cautious with the hot liquid if you do so.
Now stir in the cinnamon, then taste and adjust for salt.
Also, adjust the consistency of the Moroccan lentil soup to your liking by adding more broth or water.
Serving suggestions
Serve the Moroccan lentil soup hot. You can have it as a starter or main dish.
Don’t forget to add a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.
Serve it on Moroccan couscous or with pita bread to make it a nutritious and even more delicious meal.
For extra flavor, top it with thick Greek-style yogurt or non-dairy yogurt and quick pickled red onions. We also like to add a pinch of sumac (a red citrusy spice).
Variations
Add more vegetables
You can customize this Moroccan Lentil Soup by adding more vegetables.
We think you’ll love it with:
Potatoes: Peel them, cut them into bite-size pieces, and add them 15 minutes after you add the lentils. Potatoes take about 30 minutes to soften.
Leafy greens: try chopped kale, spinach, and chard. They take about 15 minutes to cook.
Sweet potatoes: peel them and chop them into bite-size pieces. They take about 20 minutes to soften.
Red bell pepper: chop it into bite-size pieces and add it to the lentils.
Moroccan red lentil soup
You can substitute red lentils for green or brown lentils and make a creamy and comforting red lentil soup. The cooking time will be 20 to 30 minutes, and the other ingredients will stay the same.
In this case, the soup will be more puree-like because the red lentils will lose shape as they cook. It’s similar to an Indian Dal or a Turkish Lentil Soup Recipe.
It’s still delicious but substantially different.
Tip
Consistency: Lents soak up a lot of liquid, so you’ll probably have to adjust and add more vegetable broth to reach your desired consistency.
The more the lentils cook, the more liquid you must add.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make ahead: Moroccan lentil soup is an excellent recipe for meal prep for the week. It keeps well for days and tastes even better the day after it’s made.
Refrigerator: Let the soup cool to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate it for 4 – 5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. First, let it cool down, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly container and freeze it.
Thaw and Reheat: Defrost it in the fridge for several hours. Warm it in the microwave or a saucepan on the stovetop. You might need to add more broth or water as you do so because the lentils will soak up some of the liquid.
Similar recipes
LENTIL SOUP RECIPES: lentil vegetable soup, curry lentil soup, Italian lentil soup, red lentil soup, Turkish lentil soup, lentil curry (technically not a soup, but it’s so creamy and delicious).
MOROCCAN RECIPES: Moroccan Couscous, Moroccan carrot salad, Zaalouk, Sweet potato lentil salad
For more curries, stews, and soups, check out our soups category page.
Moroccan Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Immersion blender or standing blender optional
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 heaping cup dried green lentils or 2 small cans rinsed (15 ounces/400 grams). In this case simmer for just 15 minutes and add only 2 cups of vegetable broth.
- 6 cups vegetable broth add more if required
- 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 lemon
- 1 handful parsley or cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 large onion, 2 carrots, and 1 rib celery (all chopped), and cook for 4 minutes or until translucent.Stir in 2 cloves garlic (pressed), 2 tablespoons tomato paste, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, and ½ teaspoon paprika.Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Rinse 1 heaping cup dried green lentils and stir them in the spice mixture.
- Pour in 6 cups vegetable broth, 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Stir well, cover with a lid, and bring to a gentle boil.Reduce the heat to low, crack the top open, and let it simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.Stir occasionally and add more vegetable broth if necessary.
- Once the lentils are cooked, use an immersion blender to puree only some of them – about a cup. You can blend more or less, depending on your preference.You can also use a standing blender, but be cautious with the hot liquid if you do so.
- Now stir in ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, then taste and adjust for salt.Serve in bowls with a generous squeeze of lemon, chopped parsley or cilantro.Make it a meal with pickled red onions and a dollop of Greek-style yogurt on top, and pita bread on the side.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I have been trying out a lot of your delicious recipes and especially Love this recipe, made it several times and have recommended to friends about “the plant based school” 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
That’s fantastic, Patricia! I’m so delighted that you enjoyed the soup (it’s also one of our favorite lentil soups!!)
Thank you for your support, and your kind feedback 🙂