Moroccan Lentil Soup

I’m on a cooking at home roll! I’ve been trying really hard to make protein-rich lunches and dinner without spending money to go eat out. I love lentils, but I’m a bit tired of having it the same old way, so I decided to make Moroccan Lentil Soup. Spicy, tomato-ey, and  hearty. Moroccan lentil soup is full of flavor and really fills you up. For this dish I used two different types of lentils, red split lentils, or Masoor dal, and I also used brown lentils, which are more traditionally used in Middle Eastern recipes. Brown lentils hold their shape after being cooked, but if you’d like softer lentils, feel free to soak them. The recipe takes no more than 20 mins cooking time and maybe 10 minutes of prep. And it keeps incredibly well. I thoroughly enjoyed this as my next-day lunch :). Hope you enjoy!

You will need:

• 1/4 cup red lentils, rinsed well
• 1/4 cup brown lentils, rinsed well
• 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1-2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp paprika or smoked paprika
• 4 San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed
• Parsley or cilantro to garnish
• Optional: Cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a pot, heat a few tbsps of  olive oil and add onions, garlic, celery and carrots
2. Let the vegetables saute until the carrots rae slightly softened and the onions are transcluscent
3. Crush 4 tomatoes into the vegetable mixture
4. Now add the spices, 1 tsp of cumin powder, a tablespoon of paprika (Some people don’t like the flavor of smoked paprika, so feel free to use regular paprika), Salt, pepper and optional pinchcayenne.
5. Stir the mixture and let the spices toast, but not burn.
6. Crush in 4 whole San Marzano tomatoes from the can. I  had some left over and I love the sweetness of these tomatoes, so this is what I prefer to use, but you are welcome to use fresh or canned tomatoes of your choice.
7. Add lentils and 1 cup of vegetable broth.
8. Add water to cover and reduce heat to medium
9. Simmer on medium for 15-20 minutes, or until lentils are softened
10. Garnish with flat leaf parsely or cilantro and serve!