I get a lot of emails from readers with recipe suggestions and I love them all, but don’t get the opportunity to make many of them. Every once in a while, though, an email comes through with a recipe that happens to be exactly what I’m in the mood for eating that week. That’s what happened when I got an email from Rachel with a link to this amazing Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup from Wegmans.com. The first thing that I noticed is that it has almost the same blend of warm and intoxicating spices that makes my Yellow Jasmine Rice so irresistible. So, of course, I had to try it!
I switched up the spices a bit to match what I had on hand (no coriander and changed quantities). I had a half bag of lentils in my pantry, so I just went with that instead of a whole pound. To make up for the smaller amount of lentils, I added a half-pound of frozen cauliflower florets, which were also hanging out just waiting to be used up. The cauliflower was an absolutely perfect match for this soup and I think it made the ratio of beans to vegetables perfectly balanced.
I can’t express how much I love this soup. It has so much flavor and texture, plus it’s filled with fiber and anti-inflammatory spices. Then, after making it and wolfing down a bowl, I noticed that, “Hey! This is vegan!” That’s the best type of vegan food—the kind that’s so good that you don’t even notice till you stop and think about it.
I didn’t have time, but I highly suggest making some Homemade Naan to dip in the amazing broth. Do it. You won’t be sorry.
See this recipe used in my weekly meal prep.
Moroccan Lentil and Vegetable Soup
Servings 8 (1.5 cups each)Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
- 4 ribs celery ($0.75)
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin ($0.15)
- 1 tsp turmeric ($0.10)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($0.69)
- 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.89)
- 1/2 lb. frozen cauliflower florets ($0.70)
- 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.78*)
- 1 cup brown lentils, dry ($0.70)
- 1 bay leaf ($0.15)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until softened. Dice the celery while the onions and garlic are sautéing, then add to the pot and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes more.
- Add the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to the pot. Stir and cook the spices with the vegetables for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), chickpeas (rinsed and drained), and cauliflower florets (no need to thaw). Stir the pot until everything is well mixed.
- Add the vegetable broth and bay leaf, turn the heat up to high, place a lid on the pot, and allow it to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, add the lentils. Stir and let it come back up to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Let the soup simmer on low, with the lid, for 30 minutes.
- After simmering for 30 minutes, the lentils should be tender. Remove the bay leaf and give the soup a taste. Add salt if needed (this will depend on the type of vegetable broth used. I did not add any additional salt), then serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Moroccan Lentil and Vegetable Soup – Step by Step Photos
Begin by dicing one onion, mincing four cloves of garlic, and slicing four stalks of celery (about a half bunch). Add them all to a large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat for about five minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add 1/2 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp cayenne to the pot.
Sauté the spices with the vegetables for one to two minutes. This toasts the spices a little and amplifies their flavor. They may stick to the bottom of the pot a little, but that’s okay. Just take care not to let them burn. Turn the heat down slightly, if needed.
Add one 28oz. can of diced tomatoes (with the juices), one 15oz. can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained), and about a 1/2 lb. of frozen cauliflower florets (no need to let them thaw).
Add six cups of vegetable broth and one bay leaf. Stir everything to combine and dissolve anything that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat up to high, place a lid on the pot, and let it come to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, add one cup of brown lentils. Stir the pot, let it come back up to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer on low (with lid) for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the lentils should be tender. Give the soup a taste and add salt if needed. I use Better Than Bouillon to make my vegetable broth and it’s plenty salty enough, so I didn’t need to add any, but if your brand has less salt, you may need to add a pinch. Remove the bay leaf and serve!
I LOVE how these spices make my house smell. So good! Serve with homemade naan. Oooh it makes my knees weak!
I used chicken broth, omitted the cinnamon and added fresh green beans for extra veggies. Ate it with some feta crumbles, which added extra depth. So delicious and healthy – thanks!!
hi beth, we don’t have frozen cauliflower; would frozen okra do, or would that “funkify” the texture? also, we have canned lentils but no dry; could we just add them later, say, 15 min. into the 30 min. simmer time, or would they fall apart? do they need simmer time at all?
thanks so much!!
The canned lentils probably just need enough time to warm through, since they’re already cooked, so I’d definitely add them towards the end. I have to be honest, I’ve never cooked with frozen okra, so I’m not sure how that would do in the stew. :P
Fantastic – Loved this soup really outstanding. (added a chopped pepper & 2 carrots, only because I needed to use them up)
The flavors of this stew were perfect. Loved it.
I made this last night and it was freakin’ awesome! My parents loved it. My whole house spells like spices…
OH. MY. GOODNESS. I made this recipe with chicken broth instead of veggie and sans the bay leaf (thanks, grocery store, for being out of the store brands that are ridiculously more cheap than name brands) but I wish I could eat this all night. I truly wish that I didn’t have a pork roast waiting for its turn to be cooked. I have never knowingly consumed cumin or turmeric, so it was a little risky for me to put those spices in and I am SO glad that I did!
I just can’t rave about this enough.
This soup is amazing and has already turned into a family favorite!! In fact, it was part of both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner! My mother-in-law loved it–she thinks I have a soup gift!
This looks so good, I can’t wait to eat it!
If one was to add meat, what kind would you recommend? (Maybe sausage?)
Hmm, yes a smoked sausage might be pretty good! And chicken goes with pretty much anything. :) You could cut up some chicken thighs and brown them in the beginning to get a little caramelization, or just add some chicken breasts and shred them after the soup simmers.
Best. Soup. Ever…..again! =)
I’ve really been looking forward to making this recipe, and now I finally get a chance! One thing, though: you have something leafy and green in the last picture that isn’t in your ingredients list. Is it parsley or cilantro? Or something else entirely?
It’s cilantro, but I found that it didn’t really add anything to the flavor of the soup (the other spices are so strong that it just got lost), so I didn’t include it in the recipe. It made for nice color in the photos, though. :)
Mmm! I’m eating a bowl of this right now, along with some whole-wheat pita I got on sale and a little dish of olive oil. The stew is so rich and warming and hearty, but a welcome change in style from the other winter soups I’ve been making.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I made this the other night and it was a total winner. It doesn’t keep the cost down, but I added back in some coriander and I threw in some beef (browned first and added with the broth) which was awesome.
Hi Beth, love your website! My husband and I really liked this recipe. I would like to make this stew thicker and add sweet potato. Any tips?
Yep, you can use less broth to help thicken it. Cut the sweet potatoes into one-inch or smaller cubes, so they soften quickly. Slightly mash the cubes after it’s done simmering and that should thicken it up nicely. :)
Hi there! I love your website and use it several times per week for meal ideas!! Can I put all of these ingredients in a crockpot? I a, very busy and a crockpot works for my busy schedule the best. Thank you!!
You probably could, although you run the danger of the vegetables and lentils getting a bit soft and mushy.
I made this tonight for my family, it was awesome. So filling and flavorful. This is probably going to be my new go to soup.