Moroccan Spiced Lentil Soup

Dig into a steaming bowl of this scrumptious vegan optional red lentil soup. It is perfect for a chilly night when you want an easy, comforting dinner that isn’t quite as heavy as other wintery dishes. The spices and ginger give this soup warmth and depth that make you feel like you are being wrapped up in a cozy blanket. So don’t wait, make this delicious and nutritious soup tonight!

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 340g or about 2 cups of red lentils

• 2 medium carrots

• 1 good-sized onion

• 7 cloves garlic

• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger (about 1 tbsp minced)

• 1 or 2 chopped tomatoes or about a cup of cherry tomatoes halved

• 8 cups vegetable broth

• 1 rounded tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp cloves

• 1/8 tsp cayenne

• 2 bay leaves

• Salt to taste

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

• Cilantro*

• Greek yogurt or coconut milk*

Directions:

1. Drizzle olive oil into a pot set over medium-high heat.

2. Chop onions and carrots and add them to the pot.

3. Sauté the onions and carrots for a few minutes until they are slightly softened.

4. Add minced garlic and minced ginger, and sauté for about a minute until garlic becomes fragrant.

5. Add tomatoes to the pot and cook for another minute or two, then add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds.

6. Sort and rinse lentils making sure there are little rocks or debris in the lentils, then add the lentils to the pot and stir.

7. Pour broth into the pot and give the soup a quick mix.

8. Add the bay leaves.

9. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer until the lentils are tender.

10. Once the lentils are cooked through, remove the two bay leaves from the soup and blend the soup with an immersion blender (the extent to which you blend the soup is up to you, you can partially blend it or blend it until smooth).*

11. Return the bay leaves back into the pot.

12. Salt to taste, adjust depending on how salty your broth is.

13. Serve the soup with cilantro garnish and a dollop of greek yogurt.

14. Enjoy!

Additional Notes:

*You can garnish the soup with cilantro or parsley or chives, they are all delicious.

*If vegan you can swap the greek yogurt for vegan yogurt or a swirl of coconut milk.