Moroccan Red Lentil Soup

This Moroccan red lentil soup is the PERFECT soup for a fall weeknight! It has only a few ingredients, is quick and easy to make, and results in enough for four people! Grab your veggies, and let’s jump right in!

Technique

First, let’s talk technique. Because the ingredients here are so simple, it’s important to treat them well in order to get the best results. That means lower heat for a (slightly) longer time. Cooking the soup this way allows for the flavors to marry in a way that just isn’t possible when cooking as quickly as possible!

How is Moroccan red lentil soup made?

As always, the first step is to gather your ingredients! To start, we’ll need some carrots, garlic, a yellow onion, and some potatoes.

Next, cut the veggies! We want them in cubes to reduce cooking time, but as the final soup is blended, the cubes don’t need to be perfect.

When that is done, pick over your red lentils and remove any dirt or small rocks. These things sometimes end up in bags of lentils.

The final preparation step is to gather your spices. Things can sometimes move quickly during the cooking stage (especially if you’re making flatbreads at the same time), so not needing to measure each spice individually in the middle of cooking is a huge help!

The Cooking Process

Heat a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Begin cooking by sauteing the onions until translucent. This should take about 5-7 minutes or so. When they are just about ready, add in the garlic and continue sauteing until fragrant (about 1 minute).

Add spices. Some recipes call for adding spices after boiling the potatoes and carrots, but I prefer adding them at this stage. When the pan is mostly dry, add spices and stir to coat the onions. This allows for the hot pan to intensify the flavors of the spices, and for the salt to draw further flavor out of the onions and garlic before adding liquids!

Add in broth, carrots, lentils, and onions, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Depending on the nonstick capabilities of your pot, you may need to stir throughout the cooking process. Continue cooking until the potatoes and carrots are soft enough to cut with your spoon or spatula. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

At this point, there are a few options as to how to proceed. Some people prefer to leave the soup chunky, which is perfectly fine! We prefer the soup blended, and so we (CAREFULLY) pour the soup into the blender and process until smooth. Some use an immersion blender for this step!

How is Moroccan red lentil soup served?

There are a lot of opinions on how to serve this soup! Examples include putting a dollop of yogurt on top, stirring in some greens, or topping with chopped greens and/or onions. In our kitchen, we prefer to make a spiral in the surface of the soup. In the pot the soup was cooked in, we add some olive oil and some of the seasonings used in the soup. Sauté until the spices are fragrant, then pour into the spiral! If you choose to go this route, the quality of the olive oil matters. If you’re wondering how to choose a good bottle, see our olive oil guide.

We ALWAYS serve this soup with flatbread, particularly our favorite bazlama! We also include some cilantro or parsley for garnish, as well as lemon slices to add a pop of brightness! Alternatively to lemon, feta cheese makes a great topping choice.

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