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This Moroccan lentil soup with spinach is a simple, healthy, hearty meal and a great source of protein, iron, and other nutrients. This detox red lentil soup is an excellent food for your weight-loss diet.
Moroccan lentil soup is packed with the goodness of lentils as well as veggies like carrots, spinach, and starchy potatoes. You can skip potatoes if you are targeting a low carb diet.
Lentils are an excellent source of protein. And this high protein will keep you full for longer with a feeling of satiety. Hence one of the best food choices for your weight loss diet.
This detox red lentil soup with Moroccan flavors is not only healthy but also this is too delicious. It has a strong flavor of ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cumin. The result is extremely delicious.
Here I have not added potatoes to my red lentil soup. You can add potatoes to this. Similarly, you can replace the spinach with other greens like kale leaves. I’m sure it will be equally yummy and healthy too. Try my Broccoli Kale Low Carb Soup.
You can make this Moroccan lentil soup in a pressure cooker, in an open pot like a dutch oven or any heavy bottom pot/ pan, or even in an instant pot. This is a one-pot dish.
How to make Moroccan Red Lentil Soup – 3 Ways
This is an easy and quick one-pot dish made with dehusked red lentils or whole brown lentils or with a mixture of both whole and split red lentils. Though it’s a one-pot dish, I have pressure cooked my lentils before for quicker results. Also, I didn’t add veggies while pressure cooking lentils as it will be mushy. Otherwise, cut it in larger chunks. My recipe belongs to the 1st method that is described below.
However, you can add lentils after sauteing veggies and boil them together. So for this recipe, you can too use your leftover lentils and give that a twist of Moroccan spices. You can also add coconut cream or greek yogurt to this lentil soup.
Time needed: 30 minutes.
Moroccan Lentil Soup in 3 ways
- Stove Top: Using Pressure Cooker
Wash lentils thoroughly and pressure cook (adding pinch of salt) for 2 – 3 whistles. Let it cool and release the pressure naturally.
Saute onion, carrots, garlic for a few minutes.
Add ground spices, tomato paste, and little water. Simmer till carrots are cooked nearly 80%. Then add green leafy vegetables like spinach.
Now pour in the cooked lentils and give it a gentle stir. Simmer for another 3 minutes on low flame.
Add lemon juice, chili flakes and fresh coriander leaves for garnish and serve hot.
- Stove Top: In dutch oven
In a soup pot or dutch oven heat oil. Saute onion, carrots, garlic for a few minutes. Add ground spices, tomato paste, and little water. Now add washed and soaked lentils. Add vegetable stock or water. Simmer till the lentil is cooked nearly 90%. Then add green leafy vegetables like spinach.
Simmer for another 2 – 3 minutes on low flame.
Add lemon juice, chili flakes and fresh coriander leaves for garnish and serve hot. - Instant Pot:
Saute veggies on saute mode for 2 minutes. Add spices, tomato paste and give it a nice stir. Add lentils and stock. Set the instant pot to manual on high pressure for 3 – 4 minutes. If using brown lentils then set time for 15 minutes. Let natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Now quick release and stir well. Instant pot Moroccan Lentil Soup is ready. Add lemon juice and garnish with chilli flakes and coriander leaves.
Read other similar lentil recipes on blog:
- Indian Restaurant style dal tadka
- Moong Masoor Dal
- Curried green gram lentil soup
- Sprouted Lentils Curry
For more recipes, read my Lentil Recipes Collection here.
Recipe Card for Moroccan Lentil Soup
Moroccan Lentil Soup (Vegan & Gluten Free)
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 carrot diced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 6 garlic pods minced
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils washed & soaked
- 2 fresh tomatoes pureed
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- salt to taste
- 3 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
- 2 tsp red chilli flakes
- 1 lemon for fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a heavy pot pan or dutch oven heat some oil.
- Once oil is hot, put chopped onion, ginger, garlic, carrots, celery and saute on medium flame for 2 minutes.
- Then add ground spices
- give a nice stir.
- Add tomato paste or puree and simmer for a minute.
- Add lentil and vegetable stock.
- Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes or till lentils are cooked and soft.
- Now add spinach leaves.
- Close the lid and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat when lentils are well cooked.
- Add lime juice, chopped coriander leaves, and red chilli flakes.
- Garnish with some more cilantro leaves and serve hot.
On stove top using pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook lentils (adding little salt & turmeric powder) for 3 whistles for red lentils & 6 whistles for brown lentils.
- Then heat oil in pan.
- Saute onion, celery, garlic, carrots.
- Add ground spices. Mix well.
- Add tomato paste or puree.
- Give it a nice stir.
- Add little vegetable stock and simmer for 5 minutes till carrots are soft.
- Now add spinach leaves and cook for another 3 minutes covering with lid on medium flame.
- Now pour in the cooked lentils to the pan.
- Mix it well.
- Simmer for another 2 – 3 minutes covering with a lid.
- Season with salt as per taste.
- In the end turn off heat.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and red chilli flakes.
Notes
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