Also known simply as Red Lentil Soup, this is a warm and hearty soup that offers robust texture and flavors. North African cuisine offers several recipes for hearty broths that combine meat, vegetables, lentils, or chickpeas. The use of cinnamon, cloves, and cumin is what gives this soup its unique yet familiar taste and reminds me of the various dals we make in India. I love to add fresh veggies to this soup to make it a one-pot meal and will usually allow it to cook overnight in a slow cooker so that there is a warm meal ready for lunches or brunches.

This soup uses split, dehusked red lentils, known as masoor in India. Very easy to digest, masoor has a slightly tangy taste by nature and lends itself heartily to dals and soups. Split masoor also cooks fairly quickly, unlike toor (pigeon peas) or chana dal (split chickpeas), which take longer. Additionally, the masoor lentils retain their shape even after cooking to add texture to the soup.

Step by Step

1. Rinse 1 cup split, dehusked red lentils (masoor dal), set to drain in a colander
2. Chop 1/2 cup onions
3. Grate 1.5 tsp fresh ginger
4. Peel and crush or mince 2-3 cloves of garlic
5. Wash, peel and slice 1 cup carrots
6. Wash and chop 1/2 cup French beans
7. Wash and chop 1 cup tomatoes (sub with 1/2 cup diced or crushed tomatoes in a can)

8. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan (use a large pot if using the stove top method)
9. Add crushed garlic and grated ginger, saute till lightly browned
10. Add chopped onions, saute till transparent
11. Add the tomatoes, sliced carrots, and chopped French beans, saute till evenly coated with oil and warmed
12. Add the rinsed lentils to the sauteed veggies
13. Add 3 cups of water
14. Add 1 tsp each:
    • ground cloves
    • cinnamon powder
    • crushed red pepper flakes
    • black pepper powder
    • paprika or any other chili powder
    • cumin powder
15. Add 2 tsp salt (to taste)
16. Slow Cooker Method:
    • If using a slow cooker, transfer all the sauteed veggies into it
    • Add the rinsed lentils, spices, salt, and 3 cups of water
    • Give everything a gentle stir with a ladle, cover the slow cooker with a lid and set on Low if cooking overnight
    • If you want it to cook faster then set on High for 2 hours and on Low for 1 hour
17. Stove Top Method:
    • Add the rinsed lentils, spices, salt, and 3 cups of water to the pot
    • Give everything a gentle stir with a ladle, cover the pot with a lid and allow to cook on medium heat
    • Stir occasionally and add more water if needed
    • The lentils should be cooked through in approx 1.5 hours
18. Check that the lentils are fully cooked and soft
19. Taste the soup and add more salt or spices as needed
20. Serve the soup hot with crusty grilled bread or crackers and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.

Print Recipe

Red Lentil Soup

Also known as Moroccan lentil soup, this is a warm and hearty soup that offers robust texture and flavors. The use of cinnamon, cloves, and cumin is what gives this soup its unique yet familiar taste and reminds me of the various dals we make in India. I love to add fresh veggies to this soup to make it a one-pot meal and will usually allow it to cook overnight in a slow cooker so that there is a warm meal ready for lunches or brunches.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Brunch, Soup

Cuisine: Indian, North African

Keyword: crockpot, masoor, masoor dal soup, Moroccan lentil soup, red lentil soup, red lentils, slow cooker, soup, vegan

Servings: 6

Author: Madhavi

Ingredients

• 1 cup dehusked, split red lentils or masoor dal
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1.5 tsp grated ginger fresh
• 2-3 cloves garlic crushed or minced
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup French beans
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cups water

Instructions

• Rinse 1 cup split, dehusked red lentils (masoor dal), set to drain in a colander.
• Chop 1/2 cup onions

  Grate 1.5 tsp fresh ginger

  Peel and crush or mince 2-3 cloves of garlic
• Wash, peel and slice 1 cup carrots

  Wash and chop 1/2 cup French beans

  Wash and chop 1 cup tomatoes (sub with 1/2 cup diced or crushed tomatoes in a can)
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan (use a large pot if using the stovetop method)
• Add crushed garlic and grated ginger, saute till lightly browned

  Add chopped onions, saute till transparent

  Add the sliced carrots and chopped French beans, saute till evenly coated with oil and warmed
• Then add the lentils to the sauteed veggies and 3 cups of water
• Add 1 tsp each:

  ground cloves

  cinnamon powder

  crushed red pepper

  ground black pepper

  paprika or any other chili powder

  cumin powder
• Add 2 tsp salt (to taste)
• Slow Cooker Method:

  If using a slow cooker, transfer all the sauteed veggies into it

  Add the rinsed lentils, spices, salt, and 3 cups of water

  Give everything a gentle stir with a ladle, cover the slow cooker with a lid, and set on Low if cooking overnight

  If you want it to cook faster then set on High for 2 hours and on Low for 1 hour
• Stove Top Method:

  To the sauteed veggies, add the rinsed lentils, spices, salt, and 3 cups of water

  Give everything a gentle stir with a ladle, cover the pot with a lid and allow to cook on medium heat

  Stir occasionally and add more water if needed

  The lentils should be cooked through in approx 1.5 hours
• Check that the lentils are fully cooked and soft

  Taste the soup and add more salt or spices as needed

  Serve the soup hot with crusty grilled bread or crackers with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice