This easy Lentil Soup is filled with Moroccan spices, tomatoes, and rice for a hearty meal that has everyone coming back for seconds! Serve it with a simple salad or a loaf of crusty bread for the perfect weeknight meal.
You only need a few pantry ingredients and a bunch of spices to make this quick and easy lentil recipe. We love cooking with lentils, because they don't need to pre-soak. You can have a filling and comforting hot soup ready in less than an hour.
Are Lentils Good for You?
Yes! This is one of our favorite reasons to make lentils recipes--they pack a major nutritional punch. Lentils are a plant-based source of protein while being low in fat and high in fiber that will keep you full longer. Your body will thank you for including lentils in your meals!
The Best Lentils to Use in Soup
Any type of lentils will work! There are so many different kinds of lentils to choose from that it can be overwhelming! Pretty much any lentils you find in the grocery store will work, although red lentils will result in a totally different kind of soup. Black, Pardina, or green lentils hold their shape better while cooking and we prefer them over regular brown lentils. Brown lentils have an earthier, mild flavor and are usually easier to find. They’re still a great option for this Mediterranean Lentil Soup! Just give pick and check your lentils for any debris and little stone and give them a good rinse. If you need more detailed information about lentils check out our Mujadara Post.
How Long to Cook Dry Lentils
One cup of lentils needs about 3-4 cups of water to cook, and depending on the type of lentils, plan on 25-40 minutes of cooking time. One cup of dry lentils makes about 2 ½ cups of cooked lentils. If you want to save a bit of time you can use canned lentils. Just rinse them before adding them in and reduce the simmering time! Dry lentils do not need to be soaked before adding them to soup or any other dish. Lentil do need to be picked over to take out any debris or small rocks.
Storing Lentil Soup
You can keep this easy lentil soup in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The leftovers are absolutely delicious! It can also be frozen for up to six months and enjoyed whenever the craving hits.
Spices We Used in Our Moroccan Lentil Soup
We included some of our favorite spices to bring warmth and flavor to this easy lentil soup recipe!
- Turmeric
- Paprika
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
If you want to get adventurous with spices you could also add our garam masala, shawarma, or curry seasonings!
How to Make Lentil Soup From Scratch
We know that Lentil Soup isn’t the most exciting sounding meal in the world, but when it’s made right, you’ll be craving leftovers for lunch as soon as dinner is over! We start with a sauteed onion and garlic (along with any veggies that may take longer to cook, like carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash). Add in the lentils along with broth and spices. This gives the lentils time to soak up all the delicious flavors as they cook! Finish your soup with canned tomatoes and any quicker-cooking vegetables or grain you’d like (spinach, kale, swiss chard, rice, bulgur wheat, quinoa, ).
More Lentil Recipes You Must Try
- Red Lentil Soup with Lemon and Cilantro
- Red Lentil Soup Recipe with Fennel and Turmeric
- Lentil Curry
- Lentil and Sweet Potato Chili
- Easy Rigatoni with Lentil Bolognese
- Avocado Tomato and Lentil Salad
- Beluga Lentil Recipe with Baba Ghanoush
- Lentil Meatballs with Tahini and Turmeric Sauce
- Freekeh Lentil Stuffed Peppers
DID YOU ENJOY OUR LENTIL SOUP RECIPE?
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Lentil Soup with Moroccan Spices
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy Lentil Soup is filled with Moroccan spices, tomatoes, and rice for a hearty meal that has everyone coming back for a second helping! Serve it with a simple salad or a loaf of crusty bread for the perfect weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced small
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground sweet paprika, you may also use smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp ground Allspice
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp hot pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper (optional if you like a little heat)
- 2 cups brown lentils picked over and rinsed, you may also use green lentils (See Note)
- 8 cups veggie broth, veggie chicken broth or water
- 1-2 tsp salt (See Note 3)
- 1 - 28 ounce can of small diced tomatoes, you may also use crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup basmati, jasmine rice, or any rice you have on hand. (See note 2 if using brown or wild rice)
- Schug ( Optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot heat the olive oil
- Add diced onions and garlic cook on medium-high for 3 minutes, add the spices, cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add water or broth and lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the lentils simmer covered for 25 minutes or until tender, but not mushy. Some lentils may require a longer cooking time. ( See Note 1). Do not leave the lentils unattended or they will burn when most of the water has evaporated.
- Add salt ( See Note 3), canned tomatoes, rice and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat, simmer covered for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. ( See Note 2). Same advice again, do not leave the soup unattended or it may burn when most of the water has evaporated.
- If the soup is too thick add some water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Serve hot with some Schug on top (optional)
Notes
- You may use Pardina, green or black lentils. Cooking times may vary between the different types of lentils. See this post for a detailed description of the different types of lentils.
- If you are using brown or wild rice you may need to add more water or broth and the cooking time for the rice will be longer. It's always better to add the salt once the lentils are tender. They will cook faster this way.
- We used 2 tsp of salt, you may want to start with one tsp and add more salt to your taste.
- If the soup is too thick or it thickened in the fridge add some water.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 50
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 241
- Sugar: 5.8
- Sodium: 473
- Fat: 2.7
- Saturated Fat: .4
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 43.3
- Fiber: 7.6
- Protein: 14
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, spices, hearty, healthy
Karen says
Is there something missing between or in steps 2 and 3...when to add the lentils?
Thanks - I'm always looking for good pareve soup recipes, and look forward to making this one when the instructions are clear (and hope everything else in the recipe is accurate).
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Karen, you add the lentils right after you add the water or the broth. Sorry about the omission. Enjoy the recipe!
Karen says
Thanks!
cindy says
Just made this soup-it's a chilly 60 degrees in Florida! I have a lot of baharat spice that I want to use up so I substituted that for most of the spices. The is a wonderful soup!
★★★★★
Diane says
Love this soup! It is so nourishing, flavorful, filling, satisfying. I added a few other vegetables- carrots, celery, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, green onion, leeks, which made it even yummier. Used black lentils and black rice. Eating it today on a cold rainy day and it really hits the spot. Now I have a batch of this and a batch of your delicious vegetable soup in my freezer at the ready. Thank you so much for your fabulous recipes!
Vicky and Ruth says
Thank you! Keep Cooking!
Eden says
Was really excited for this soup, but it had a metallic taste for some reason. Was easy to follow and in theory it was good maybe something in my pantry was bad!
Vicky and Ruth says
Sorry to hear that, it could have been the tomatoes or the pan where you cooked in. Check out this article. https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5665-when-cookware-turns-food-tinny