Moroccan lentil soup

A tasty vegetarian Moroccan lentil soup, this is the perfect winter weekend lunch or dinner. It's high in fibre and can easily be made gluten free and vegan.

Serves: 6

Time to make: 45 mins

Ingredients

More weights & measures

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1 teaspoon each coriandercilantroX, cumin and curry powder
½ teaspoon each smoked paprika, ground cinnamon and turmeric
400g can no-added-salt lentils, drained and rinsed
1 red capsicum, seeds removed and diced
300g kumarasweet-potatoX, peeled and cut into small cubes
3 cups reduced-salt vegetable stock plus 3 cups water
ground black pepper to taste
2 ½ cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup coriandercilantroX, to serve
1 cup plain unsweetened yoghurt
3 wholemeal pita breads, toasted and halved

Instructions

Stay Awake

In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Increase heat, add spices and stir. Cook for 1 minute before adding lentils, capsicum, kumara, stock and water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer until kumara is tender, about 25-30 minutes.
Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree. Add back to the pot, season and stir through spinach and lemon juice.
Divide soup among 6 bowls. Garnish with coriander and serve with yoghurt and crisp pita breads.

Variations

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free flat bread instead of pita. Check ground spices and vegetable stock are gluten free.

Make it vegan: Check vegetable stock is vegan and use a vegan coconut yoghurt.

HFG tip

This soup can be made in a slow cooker – simply place all ingredients, except spinach and lemon juice, into the slow cooker and cook on a low setting for 6-8 hours. If you are using dried lentils, rinse and add at the beginning. If you are using canned lentils, drain and add in the last hour of cooking. Purée half the soup, then combine the two halves again. Stir through spinach and lemon juice, season and serve.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 272 cal

Kilojoules 1140 kJ

Protein 11 g

Total fat 4 g

Saturated fat 1 g

Carbohydrates 45 g

Sugar 14 g

Dietary fibre 9 g

Sodium 770 mg

Calcium 180 mg

Iron 3 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.