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!
This was quite good! I also added some chopped dried apricots. It really needs a nice dollop of yogurt as well.
This stew was delicious! It was a bit too spicy for me and my boyfriend (but we are pretty whimpy with spiciness). I added more broth to tone it down. I also added extra veggies I had laying around. Great recipe!
Add 1 cup Israeli cooscous, and broccoli (instead of cauliflower) and 1/2 cup finally chopped asparagus and 1/2 cup finally chopped zucchini sautéed with the onion and celery – awesome. You can top with fried onions and Yum!
Sorry forgot the large carrot, finally chopped – love carrots and lentils,
I Googled vegetable stew and this recipe came up. I had several items already on hand so it was easy to put together in a little over an hour. Tastes delicious! And the leftovers will last several days, so I’m pretty happy about that. I’ll add this to the regular meal rotation and make it again soon.
Arlene | frompenniestoplenty.com
I’m not vegan (or even vegetarian), but my sister is. She was visiting and I decided to make this (because I already had all the ingredients). Oh my goodness, it is so flavorful and so filling, you don’t even miss the meat. I’m sure you could put chicken in it, but why would you? This is so easy to make too! I love the step by step and the photos (helps me make sure I’m doing it correctly). This is definitely going into my recipe box! To summarize:
1) Made with fairly common ingredients, I didn’t have to purchase anything special
2) Easy to make (seriously, I was watching my sister’s 8 month old and my 1 year old puppy and cooking this, while she was out in her car looking for something).
3) So FLAVORFUL!!!
4) High in fiber and nutrients, my digestive tract is thanking you.
This looks wonderful. Would it reheat well yo bring to work for lunch? How long does it stay good in the fridge?
Yes, it reheats very well. :) I’d keep it in the fridge for about 4-5 days, but you can also freeze it if you need to keep it longer than that (plan ahead and freeze just after it has completely chilled in the fridge, rather than waiting until the fourth day).
New to vegetarian cooking. Are you using canned lentils or lentils in bag?
Thanks
Uncooked lentils in a bag. :)
If I wanted to add in coriander, how much of it should I use?
I would just sprinkle a few leaves on top after cooking. :)
I have ground coriander.
Substitute half the cumin for coriander. Some cilantro for garnish would also be great.
Just made this! So easy and so yummy! I loved the cumin , tumeric, cinnamon and cayenne combo. Also used “better than boullion “ to make the broth per your recommendation. Have a feeling that I’ll be making this a lot this winter!:)
I made this tonight without the celery and it was delicious! I couldn’t stop eating it and my four-year-old gobbled it up with toast for dipping.
I forgot to mention — I used fresh tomatoes and cauliflower and chicken stock because that’s all I had. It was still terrific and I can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow.
Made this for the second time tonight. Used one tsp.. of coriander and a little heavier on the other spices. I added most of a bag of mixed veggies and some red potatoes. I liked it better with sweet potatoes but I was making it for other people so I did what worked for them. I absolutely love this soup! We added some shredded venison neck roast we had in the fridge to use up. My husband swears it’s the best soup he has ever had. I love It for the smell as much as the taste! I also had to use black beans instead of chickpeas. Thought I had them but alas…no. No big issue, still amazing!
I made this recipe pretty much exactly as the recipe stated. I just happened to have everything on hand. I used a fresh medium cauliflower instead of frozen and my tomatoes were fire roasted. It turned out delicious. I served it with vegan grilled “cheese” yum
This soup was so perfect! I sautéed my onions and celery longer till they caramelized, and added kale, lemon juice and lemon zest to the soup and holy cow it was everything I could have ever wanted and more. Thank you!
We just had our first snow of the year, and the warmth and spices of this stew were perfect to enjoy on a cozy day inside. I served it over rice, but next time I think I’d eat it as-is–there’s already plenty of volume with the lentils and chickpeas. Thank you for yet another delicious recipe!
I made this stew as well and we also had our first snow. My husband is a meat and potatoes guy and he tasted it and absolutely loved the stew!
Looks delicious, but I’m not a big fan of celery stalk. Could I use the root instead ?
Yes you definitely could use the root.
It was FANTASTIC. I had been concerned that it was a little hot for my tastes, but everything balanced out as it cooked. I ended up making a second pot two days later.