For the next round of lentily goodness I present you with this Moroccan-style version. In typing this I realise that I have quite an affinity for many forms of soupy lentils, particularly in cold weather, and this recipe was probably the one that really got me into brown lentil soups. Although it is pretty basic, that big hit of cumin that you throw in at the end takes this dish from good to wunderbar, in my humble opinion.
Lentils are fantastic, they’re cheap, easy to dress up into something fancy, freeze really well (for easy lunches and lazy dinners) and can be wonderfully creamy without having to add a drop of dairy. In addition, I love how many directions you can take the humble lentil to end up with a tasty meal. Thinking about it, there are not too many countries that don’t have a tasty lentil dish somewhere in their repertoire.
If you are looking for something warm and comforting, but not too heavy on the belly I would recommend this!
Moroccan-Style Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot
- 370 g brown lentils
- 1.5 L vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 lemon juiced
- Salt and pepper to taste
To serve
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Dice the onion, celery and carrot and mince (not crush) the garlic.
- Add the olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the chopped vegetables and saute for 5-10 minutes until they soften, turn down the heat if they start to brown at all.
- Rinse and check over your lentils (no one enjoys consuming stones) and then add to the pot with the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.
- Add the ground cumin and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
- If the soup is too thick for your liking add a bit more water.
- Dish up in bowls with a healthy smattering of coriander and some chunks of crusty bread on the side to mop up all the tasty goodness.
