Moroccan Red Lentil Soup

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)
  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan (use a large pot if using the stove top method)
  2. Add crushed garlic and grated ginger, saute till lightly browned
  3. Add chopped onions, saute till transparent
  4. Add the tomatoes, sliced carrots, and chopped French beans, saute till evenly coated with oil and warmed
  5. Add the rinsed lentils to the sauteed veggies
  6. Add 3 cups of water
  7. Add 1 tsp each:
    • ground cloves
    • cinnamon powder
    • crushed red pepper flakes
    • black pepper powder
    • paprika or any other chili powder
    • cumin powder
  8. Add 2 tsp salt (to taste)
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. Check that the lentils are fully cooked and soft
  12. Taste the soup and add more salt or spices as needed
  13. Serve the soup hot with crusty grilled bread or crackers and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.

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
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
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