This Moroccan-inspired lentil soup is comforting, filling and full of warm, bold spices. Finished with fresh lemon and crisp sumac onions, it’s a hearty vegan soup that delivers serious flavor!
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About This Recipe
This Moroccan-inspired lentil soup is all about warm spices and deep savory flavor, with a bright finish that brings it all together. Bold spices like cumin, ginger and cinnamon come together with vegetables, lentils and crushed tomatoes for a rich and hearty soup.
A final squeeze of lemon juice and a pile of sumac onions brings a pop of brightness to the soup that perfectly contrasts with the warm spices and lentils.
It’s an easy, weeknight-friendly soup that’s vegan, deliciously filling, and tastes even better the longer it sits!
📋 Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes work beautifully here, but chopped tomatoes, whole tomatoes that you crush yourself, or tomato purée all work just as well. In a pinch, even a simple tomato pasta sauce can be used.
- Vegetable stock: Use a low-sodium stock to control the salt or follow my simple recipe for homemade vegetable stock. Chicken stock also works if you are not keeping this vegan.
- Brown lentils: Brown lentils are ideal for this soup because they hold their shape as they cook.
- Warm spices: This soup gets its depth from a blend of cumin, coriander, paprika, ginger, turmeric, and a small pinch of cinnamon. Together they create a warm, aromatic base that is bold but well balanced.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, whole canned tomatoes, or tomato purée all work well. Use what you have on hand.
- Spices: If you do not have every spice, focus on cumin, paprika, and a small pinch of cinnamon. Those three alone create a beautiful base.
- Add-ins: For extra heartiness, add a can of drained chickpeas or white beans. For more greens, stir in chopped spinach or kale during the last few minutes of cooking.
⏲️ Instructions
Sauté the Base: Cook the onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil until softened, then stir in garlic, tomato paste, and spices and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add the Lentils and Stock: Stir in the brown lentils, crushed tomatoes, and stock, making sure everything is well combined before bringing the soup to a simmer.
Simmer Until Tender: Simmer the soup until the lentils are tender and the broth thickens.
Finish and Garnish: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh lemon juice, sumac onions, chopped cilantro, Aleppo pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Give the vegetables a good head start. Let the onion, carrot, and celery soften slowly so they build a sweet, flavorful base. Cutting the celery on the smaller side creates a better texture in every bite.
- Take time with the tomato paste and spices. Cook the tomato paste in the oil and bloom the spices to wake up the flavors.
- Keep the soup at a steady simmer. Lentils need time to absorb the liquid, so be sure to keep it at a steady simmer and not a strong boil.
- Finish with acid. Lentil soups love a bright finish. Fresh lemon juice, a splash of red wine vinegar, or tangy sumac onions make all the warm flavors pop.
- This soup is perfect for making ahead. It tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge and freezes very well. It will thicken as it sits, so add a little extra stock when reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This lentil soup is hearty enough on its own, but here are a few suggestions to add if desired.
- Crusty bread or warm pita
- Dollop of yogurt
- Crisp fattoush salad
- Lemon couscous to soak up the delicious broth
- Grilled chicken skewers, if you are not keeping vegan
More Flavorful Soups to Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Moroccan Lentil Soup
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for serving
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced small
- 2 celery stalks diced small
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup dried brown lentils rinsed
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 5-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- Kosher salt to taste
- Fresh lemon juice to taste
Garnish
- Sumac onions
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Aleppo pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened and lightly golden, about 6–8 minutes.
- Build the base: Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes, breaking it down into the oil until deep red and slightly caramelized.
- Bloom the spices: Add cumin, coriander, paprika, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon. Stir constantly for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- Simmer the soup: Add lentils, crushed tomatoes, and stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid, leaving a small opening and continue cooking for 40-45 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- Season and finish: Season with a good pinch of salt once lentils are tender. Stir in fresh lemon juice to taste.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and finish with sumac onions, chopped cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of Aleppo pepper.
Notes
- Build the Flavor: Cook the tomato paste and spices in the oil to deepen their flavor before adding any liquid.
- Simmer Gently: Keep the soup at a steady simmer and taste the lentils as they cook. They should be tender all the way through.
- Add More Liquid, if Needed: Lentils continue to absorb liquid as they cook, so add more stock or water if the soup becomes too thick.
- Finish with Acid: A squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, or tangy sumac onions at the end brighten the warm spices and bring the soup to life.
- Make It Ahead: This soup tastes even better the next day and freezes well. Add a little extra stock when reheating if needed.
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