Spiced Lentil Soup
This very nourishing Moroccan style lentil soup is packed with plant protein and fiber, thanks to the lentils and all the warm anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric, ginger, and paprika. This is our take of Pamela Anderson’s go to dinners that she calls a staple for family and guests a like. We made it our own by simplifying the ingredient list and sizing down the recipe a bit too and we gotta say it quickly became a favorite in our home too! We love lentils and so glad that they are now trending along with all things fiber loaded!
Spiced Lentil Soup Recipe Ingredients
- OLIVE OIL: Extra virgin olive oil is what I use to saute the veggies
- ONION & GARLIC: I use a yellow onion but red onion works as well. Use as much garlic or as little as you prefer.
- VEGETABLES: For this soup we add carrots, celery, butternut squash and sweet potato. If you would like to swap out the squash for pumpkin or russet potatoes for sweet potatoes that is fine too.
- HERBS & SPICES: This soup is loaded with warming spices: turmeric, ground cumin, ground ginger, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, salt, ground black pepper, and Chili flakes. Adjust amounts to taste.
- LENTILS: I use brown lentils for this recipe because I like the size and texture of them. The best substitutes for brown lentils are green lentils (similar earthy flavor/texture), French green lentils (Puy lentils), which hold their shape well, or a softer texture in soups, black (Beluga) lentils.
- TOMATOES: I use canned finely diced tomatoes. They add richness to the soup broth/base.
- BROTH: I use chicken broth or vegetable broth to keep it vegan.
- POMEGRANATE MOLASSES: Pomegranate molasses adds a complex, sweet-tart, and fruity acidity to soups, acting as a deep, tangy contrast that brightens earthy ingredients like lentils, beans, and root vegetables and a great addition to soups and stews. If you do not have any you could substitute it for balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze or skip all together.
- COCONUT MILK: This adds sweet creaminess and richness to the soup. I like to save what’s left in the can to drizzle over soup when serving.
- SPINACH: I love to add greens to my soup like spinach or kale works well too.
How To Make This Spiced Lentil Soup
- SAUTE VEGETABLES: Saute veggies in olive oil
- TOAST SPICES & LENTILS: Add both to the pot and stir well while cooking to toast the lentils and spices to deepen flavors
- ADD BROTH & TOMATOES & SIMMER: Stir in tomatoes and broth, cover pot and simmer until lentils are cooked through.
- FINISH WITH COCONUT MILK, POMEGRANATE MOLASSES & SPINACH: Stir in the molasses, coconut milk and spinach an simmer a few more minutes or until spinach is wilted
- SERVE: Serve warm, with fresh parsley or cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil or coconut milk.
- BLEND: (optional). I like this soup brothy but if you would like your soup puréed or blended or partially puréed you can do so at this point. Use an immersion blender or traditional blender to do so if you wish for a creamier soup.
Spiced Lentil Soup Storage, Reheating & Freezing
- STORAGE: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
- REHEATING: Gently rewarm this soup in a saucepan stove top over medium heat until hot. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, so it heats up evenly.
- FREEZING: Store soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Recipe
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Total Time: 65 mins
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 cup cubed butternut squash
- 1 cup cubed sweet potatoes
- 4 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 salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 cup brown lentils or green lentils
- 1 (14 oz) can finely diced tomatoes
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or balsamic
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3 cups chopped baby spinach
For Serving
- Chopped fresh Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Coconut milk
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and aromatic, approx 5 minutes.
- Add your spice mix: turmeric, cumin, ginger, chili flakes, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until well incorporated, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the green lentils, sauté along with the spices, 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring the soup to a boil, cover, and lower the heat so that it simmers for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
- Add the coconut milk, pomegranate molasses and spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach has wilted, 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if you needed.
- Serve each bowl of soup with a drizzle of olive oil or more coconut milk, squeeze of lime juice or lemon juice, some parsley or cilantro, and pinch of cracked black pepper.
Recipe Notes
- Tip - save the rest of the coconut milk from the can to drizzle over as a garnish
- The original recipe had tomato paste, potatoes and red lentils along with French green lentils but I didn’t think it needed them. Feel free to do a combination of lentils if you wish, add tomato paste for extra rich tomato flavor and swap the sweet potatoes for russet potatoes if you wish. If you add in more things you may need to increase amount of liquid/broth and cooking time.
