Vegan Moroccan Lentil Soup

This is one of my favorite soups to make. Apart from being fresh, healthy (and delicious!) it freezes well and is perfect to bring for lunch. I started making this several years ago and compiled the ingredients from a multitude of recipes. I don’t measure when I make it, but tried to come up with some basic values. 

Please adjust to taste : )

Ingredients
Olive oil
2 onions, diced 
2 bell pepper, diced 
2 stalks celery, diced 
4 cloves garlic 
2 tomatoes, diced 
1 can crushed tomatoes w/juice 
Red lentils 
1 can tomato juice (I use V8) 
Water to cover (you can also use chicken or vegetable stock) 

1 bay leaf 
1 bunch cilantro 
1/3 bunch parsley 
 
3 tsp each ground cumin & coriander 
2 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp paprika 
Pinch cinnamon & allspice
Salt & black pepper to taste 
1 lemon, juiced & zested
1 Tbl fresh grated ginger 
1 jalapeño, minced

 Chop onions, bell pepper & celery and sauté with olive oil, salt and pepper until tender.

Add 3 minced garlic cloves and ½ of jalapeno and continue to cook. 

 Grate the fresh ginger.

 Measure and mix dried spices together and rinse and sort lentils. 

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 Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, lentils and V8.  Add water until lentils are well covered. 

  

Add ¾ of dried spice mixture and ½ of grated ginger. Add bay leaf, ½ bunch cilantro and ¼ bunch parsley (I tie this together and create a bundle using the stems). Cook on medium-low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Once lentils are tender and the soup has cooked down, season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the remaining cilantro/parsley bundle. Give a few pulses with the immersion blender.

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 Finely chop the remaining cilantro, parsley, jalapeno and ginger (I used the food processor) with lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper and remaining spices.  Stir about half of this mixture into the soup and reserve the rest to garnish.

Add a dollop of the cilantro-spice mixture to each bowl before serving.

Food is love!