This fragrant green lentil soup – inspired by Pret a Manger – is packed with veggies and warming Moroccan spices.
As mentioned in a recent post, most days when I go into the office, I bring lunch from home. Sometimes though – when our fridge is depressingly bare – I’ll get something out instead. Luckily, there are lots of healthy options in the neighborhood and Pret a Manger is one of my go-to’s.
Pret’s Moroccan lentil soup has been a favorite of mine for literally almost a decade (not exaggerating). As soon as you open the container, it hits your nostrils with the loveliest aroma of savory carrots, earthy lentils, and a dizzying combo of coriander and cumin. It’s the edible equivalent of a soft sweater on a rainy day.
Here’s my copycat version of it. It makes a great lunch or dinner for the colder months, and is packed with good-for-you ingredients.
Ingredients for Moroccan Green Lentil Soup
- Onions, Carrots and Celery: This classic trio gives the soup a sweet and earthy foundation.
- Tomato Paste: Provides a sweet-savory, concentrated tomato flavor.
- Spices: Ground cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika give this lentil soup its Moroccan-inspired personality.
- Broth: You can use any broth you have here. Don’t have any? Just use water. (Psst… have you tried making vegetable scrap broth yet?)
- Lentils: This soup can be made with green or brown lentils.
- Potatoes: You can use russet, white, or Yukon golds. For a twist, use sweet potatoes instead!
Lentil Soup Health Benefits
Green lentil soup is a healthy option for lunch or dinner because of the star ingredient: lentils, which are a superfood in every right. These eco-friendly and inexpensive legumes are packed with iron, magnesium, zinc, and folate. They’re also rich in fiber, and 1 cup of cooked lentils has over 17 grams of protein (i.e. as much as a serving of salmon). So, if lentils aren’t a part of your life yet, I highly encourage you to experiment with them.
Moroccan Lentil Soup: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Sweat the Vegetables
Cook the onion, carrot, and celery with olive oil and salt until soft, about 10 minutes. Then stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste, and spices, and cook for another minute.
Step 2: Start Simmering the Soup
Next, add the lentils, broth, and bay leaves (if using), cover the pot, and bring to a boil.
Step 3: Add the Potatoes
Once the broth is boiling, add the potatoes, and reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer the soup with the lid ajar until the lentils are tender and the potatoes are cooked through, about 45 minutes. If it starts to get too thick, add a splash more water/broth.
Step 4: Serve the Soup
Garnished with parsley, if you want.
Make-Ahead Tips
This vegan lentil soup tastes even better after it sits and keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. If it gets too thick, thin it out with a splash of water when reheating. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
More Vegetarian Soups…
- Vegetarian Moqueca with Plantains
- Red Lentil Dal with Cauliflower
- Classic Pea Soup
- Coconut Milk Tomato Soup
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag @thenewbaguette on Instagram with your creation.
The Full Recipe
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Moroccan Green Lentil Soup (Vegan)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This healthy green lentil soup – inspired by Pret a Manger – is packed with veggies and warming Moroccan spices.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 small celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander* (see note below)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 cup dried green lentils, rinsed
- 2 dried bay leaves (optional)
- 1 large or 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat and add the carrots, celery, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until the veg are soft and the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 3 minced garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon each of coriander, cumin, and smoked paprika, and lots of black pepper. Stir to break up the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add 4 cups broth, 1 cup rinsed lentils, and 2 bay leaves. Cover tightly with a lid and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the potatoes, reduce the heat to low, and gently simmer with the lid ajar until the lentils are tender and the soup is thickened, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If it gets too thick, add a splash more broth/water.)
- Discard the bay leaves and season with more salt, if needed. Serve with parsley, if desired.
Notes
If you don’t have coriander, compensate with extra cumin. (And vice versa.)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
- Calories: 230
- Fat: 5.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.7 g
- Fiber: 13 g
- Protein: 10.4 g
Keywords: moroccan, green, lentil, soup
Nicola Dewey says
Could this be done in a slow cooker and if so any idea of how long it would take? – I really like the sound of it and have all the ingredients, but I don’t have a big saucepan haha
Alexandra Shytsman says
Hi Nicola! You only need about a 4-quart pot to cook this on the stovetop – what I consider a “medium” pot. In a slow cooker on the Low setting though, I’d say about 8 hours. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Eileen says
So comforting! I made it yesterday so the flavors could blend (and have an easy Monday.) The seasonings were milder than I expected, so I may increase the cumin, coriander and smoked paprika when I make this again.
Alexandra says
Thanks for the feedback, Eileen! 🙂