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Moroccan Spiced Lentil & Chickpea Soup Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 122 reviews

This Moroccan Spiced Lentil & Chickpea Soup is a hearty, flavorful dish featuring Mediterranean spices, red split lentils, chickpeas, and fresh vegetables. Enhanced with warm cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and smoked paprika, it offers a comforting and nutritious meal topped with a zesty tahini dressing and fresh coriander.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Soup

  • 1 large onion, chopped roughly
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped into small dice
  • 2 carrots, chopped into small dice
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
  • 5 tomatoes, roughly sliced
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 200 g red split lentils, washed
  • 2 tbsp rose harissa or 1 tbsp harissa
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 3 handfuls coriander, chopped roughly
  • 1 tsp sea salt

For the Tahini Dressing

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 3–4 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • Twist of black pepper

Toppings

  • Fresh coriander
  • Chilli flakes (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook the onions: In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the roughly chopped onions and cook for 7-8 minutes until they are soft and starting to brown.
  2. Add garlic, celery, and carrots: Stir in the sliced garlic, diced celery, and diced carrots. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring to combine and soften the vegetables slightly.
  3. Add the spices: Sprinkle in cumin seeds, cinnamon, turmeric, smoked paprika, and optional chilli flakes. Stir well so the vegetables are evenly coated with the spices.
  4. Add tomatoes and simmer: Add the roughly sliced tomatoes and let them soften slightly for a few minutes to release their juices.
  5. Add stock, lentils, and harissa: Pour in 1 litre of vegetable stock followed by the washed red split lentils and rose harissa. Stir to combine, cover the pan, and allow to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
  6. Continue simmering uncovered: Remove the lid and simmer the soup for another 10 minutes to reduce and thicken the broth.
  7. Add chickpeas and coriander: Stir in the drained chickpeas and chopped coriander. Season with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and adjust seasoning as needed.
  8. Prepare the tahini dressing: Add lemon juice, tahini, water, sea salt, and black pepper to a mini chopper or blender. Blitz until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
  9. Serve the soup: Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the tahini dressing, and garnish with fresh coriander and optional chilli flakes for an extra kick.

Notes

  • Harissa can be adjusted to taste or omitted if you prefer less heat.
  • For a smoother texture, blend part of the soup before adding chickpeas.
  • This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
  • Red split lentils cook quickly and do not need pre-soaking.
  • Adjust water amount in tahini dressing to achieve desired consistency.

Keywords: Moroccan lentil soup, chickpea soup, spiced soup, vegan soup, healthy lentil recipe, harissa soup, tahini dressing

Find it online: https://zarameals.com/moroccan-spiced-lentil-and-chickpea-soup-recipe/