I get a lot of emails from readers with recipe suggestions and I love them all, but don’t get the opportunity to make many of them. Every once in a while, though, an email comes through with a recipe that happens to be exactly what I’m in the mood for eating that week. That’s what happened when I got an email from Rachel with a link to this amazing Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup from Wegmans.com. The first thing that I noticed is that it has almost the same blend of warm and intoxicating spices that makes my Yellow Jasmine Rice so irresistible. So, of course, I had to try it!
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I switched up the spices a bit to match what I had on hand (no coriander and changed quantities). I had a half bag of lentils in my pantry, so I just went with that instead of a whole pound. To make up for the smaller amount of lentils, I added a half-pound of frozen cauliflower florets, which were also hanging out just waiting to be used up. The cauliflower was an absolutely perfect match for this soup and I think it made the ratio of beans to vegetables perfectly balanced.
I can’t express how much I love this soup. It has so much flavor and texture, plus it’s filled with fiber and anti-inflammatory spices. Then, after making it and wolfing down a bowl, I noticed that, “Hey! This is vegan!” That’s the best type of vegan food—the kind that’s so good that you don’t even notice till you stop and think about it.
I didn’t have time, but I highly suggest making some Homemade Naan to dip in the amazing broth. Do it. You won’t be sorry.
See this recipe used in my weekly meal prep.
Moroccan Lentil and Vegetable Soup
Servings 8 (1.5 cups each)Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
- 4 ribs celery ($0.75)
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin ($0.15)
- 1 tsp turmeric ($0.10)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($0.69)
- 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.89)
- 1/2 lb. frozen cauliflower florets ($0.70)
- 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.78*)
- 1 cup brown lentils, dry ($0.70)
- 1 bay leaf ($0.15)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until softened. Dice the celery while the onions and garlic are sautéing, then add to the pot and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes more.
- Add the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to the pot. Stir and cook the spices with the vegetables for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), chickpeas (rinsed and drained), and cauliflower florets (no need to thaw). Stir the pot until everything is well mixed.
- Add the vegetable broth and bay leaf, turn the heat up to high, place a lid on the pot, and allow it to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, add the lentils. Stir and let it come back up to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Let the soup simmer on low, with the lid, for 30 minutes.
- After simmering for 30 minutes, the lentils should be tender. Remove the bay leaf and give the soup a taste. Add salt if needed (this will depend on the type of vegetable broth used. I did not add any additional salt), then serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Moroccan Lentil and Vegetable Soup – Step by Step Photos
Begin by dicing one onion, mincing four cloves of garlic, and slicing four stalks of celery (about a half bunch). Add them all to a large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat for about five minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add 1/2 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp cayenne to the pot.
Sauté the spices with the vegetables for one to two minutes. This toasts the spices a little and amplifies their flavor. They may stick to the bottom of the pot a little, but that’s okay. Just take care not to let them burn. Turn the heat down slightly, if needed.
Add one 28oz. can of diced tomatoes (with the juices), one 15oz. can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained), and about a 1/2 lb. of frozen cauliflower florets (no need to let them thaw).
Add six cups of vegetable broth and one bay leaf. Stir everything to combine and dissolve anything that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat up to high, place a lid on the pot, and let it come to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, add one cup of brown lentils. Stir the pot, let it come back up to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer on low (with lid) for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the lentils should be tender. Give the soup a taste and add salt if needed. I use Better Than Bouillon to make my vegetable broth and it’s plenty salty enough, so I didn’t need to add any, but if your brand has less salt, you may need to add a pinch. Remove the bay leaf and serve!
I LOVE how these spices make my house smell. So good! Serve with homemade naan. Oooh it makes my knees weak!
I really enjoyed this recipe with a few additions. After adding dry seasonings I added roughly two TBL tomato paste and after sauteing for two minutes I deglazed the pan with some white wine. I believe this added more depth of flavor. This recipe will be going into my repeat file! I made as part of a meal prep weekend and froze half with delicious results. Will definitely be doubling next time I meal prep so I can freeze more for easy and healthy lunches.
Is there any way to make this in the crockpot after blooming the spices?
We haven’t tried it but I think it would work! I would make it through the first two steps on the stove then transfer everything to a crockpot and cook on high for four hours (or low for 8 hours).
This is my favourite soup. I do change it up with whatever veggies I have on hand and don’t add so much cayenne but everything else stays the same. I love it. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
This recipe is fine, but it seems like a more bland version of the Smoky Chickpea stew which is a 5 star recipe all the way. I prefer this one https://vitalityholisticwellnessguide.com/smoky-potato-chickpea-stew/
This soup is the most frequently made soup at my house! We all love it, although the 6 year old prefers less cayenne and her dad would like more. Sometimes she wins and I use a scant 1/4 tsp. She’d prefer half that. Thanks for your clear instructions!
I only have frozen riced cauliflower. Would that be weird to use in this because of the texture, or do you think it would be okay?
That’s a tough call. I think it would just come down to personal preference.
Using your recipe as kind of a base. Fresh veggie broth and homemade stewed tomatoes. Adding eggplant (soaked with salt and then washed) instead of cauliflower. Using red lentils. Thanks for the idea!
Nice recipe Looks like it is missing ginger I am leaving for a 22 day vaca and will make it with ginger added
We love this recipe. I often add other veggies as well such as spinach, zucchini and/or broccoli if I have them handy. I also use kelp powder and nettle powder in most soups. Today I used fresh garlic scapes out of the garden. I make it in the instant pot, 3 minutes then let it slow release for at least 15 minutes.
We love this! Also reporting that is freezes well. Just thawed a bag from January and served with crusty bread. Yum!
This looks amazing. Can I sub orange lentils for the brown in this recipe? Thanks! Looking forward to trying this!
Hi, Andrea! You can definitely substitute red/orange/yellow lentils in this recipe, but since they cook/breakdown faster than green or brown lentils, you may want to adjust the cooking time. For more info, I’d suggest looking over our explainer on the differences between each type of lentil in our new lentil soups recipe round-up! (https://vitalityholisticwellnessguide.com/lentil-soup-recipes/) I hope that helps! ~Marion :)
This looks wonderful, but I am on a low potassium diet and wonder if there is any way to get information about the amount of potassium in this dish per serving? Thank you!!
Hi, Molly! I wish I could be more help with this. The nutrition information listed at the bottom of each recipe card is calculated using a widget called Spoontacular API, which you can find out more about in our nutrition information disclaimer. (Here’s the link: https://vitalityholisticwellnessguide.com/nutrition-information-disclaimer/) The software does not give us the option to view potassium levels. Even so, the information provided should only be used as an estimation and should not be considered actual medical advice. I would suggest asking your doctor or a certified nutritionist for a list of high-potassium foods to avoid. Then, you can come back to our website and search for recipe ideas that do not include those ingredients! We’d be glad to help you find some! ~Marion :)
I am not a big fan of tomato chunks, would it be ok without the diced tomatoes?
Zoe, you can try it however you want! But, I will say, a lot of the flavor and liquid content in the recipe are coming from the tomatoes. If you don’t like chunks, you could maybe substitute with a 28oz can of tomato puree instead? We haven’t tested it this way so I can’t guarantee as successful a result. — Marion :)
Really liked this. I added 3 small red potatoes and a carrot. I think next time I will add some spinach or other leafy greens at the end.
Really yummy. Thought I’d give it a shot in the instant pot, and wow! Easy and delicious. I just threw everything in and cooked on high pressure for 11 minutes. Added 2 potatoes cut up. And kept broth the same. 10/10 would make again.
Used Instant Pot also. Perfect! Thanks!
914 mg of salt is too much for me. Any suggestions?
Try low-sodium veggie broth, which should reduce the amount of sodium significantly. XOXO -Monti
I use no sodium broth, no sodium canned chickpeas, no added sodium tomatoes. This makes the soup so low-sodium that you can actually add some salt.
I’m excited to try this. Do you think it’d be okay to sub red lentils for brown?
You can use red lentils. Just keep in mind, red lentils cook faster than all other lentils, so keep an eye on things as you approach the end of the cook. And your stock will thicken considerably. XOXO -Monti
Wow! This was incredibly delicious!! I forgot celery but I did add potato and carrot following the comments suggestions. This made the soup more starchy and filling! I also doubled the seasonings, and accidentally added an extra dose of cayenne. This made the soup too spicy for me, but luckily I had some sour cream on hand which made the soup nice and creamy. Served with sourdough toast and VIOLA !! A beautiful meal :)
So easy and flavorful! I don’t like lentils, and I wanted to make this even more veggie-licious, so I used a whole 12-oz package of frozen cauliflower, and added 3 chopped carrots and a 12-oz bag of frozen peas in place of the lentils. I also added a bit of chopped fresh cilantro and a bit of lemon juice to every bowl. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly as written and it made 6 big servings. A nice spin on my usual vegetable soup lunches :)
Just love this recipe! I am not the biggest fan of chickpeas or lentils, even though I know they are both very healthful. The flavor of all the different spices and the yummy cauliflower really make this meal a hit. I wonder if this could be made in the crockpot.
I’ve made this recipe a half a dozen times and absolutely love it. Thank you, Budget Bytes! This was the first recipe outside of my comfort zone, and I’ve since incorporated so many new spices and flavours into our weekend dinners. I do add a bit more cumin and substitute root for stalk with the celery. Thank you again BB!
I add greek yogurt in lieu of say sour cream and some hot sauce.
staple of the diet.
Didn’t you have a chicken version of this recipe? I can’t seem to locate it.
Hmm, nope, I don’t remember making anything like this with chicken.
Really good and easy to make! Used carrots instead of cauliflower bc that’s just what I wanted. Good with parsley and thinly sliced jalapeno as a topping/garnish. Yum!
Can this be done with green lentils?
Just check the recommended cooking time on your package of lentils. If it says to simmer about 20 minutes, they will work in this recipe. The lentils that I call “brown” are unfortunately also sometimes called “green” (they’re a drab brownish-green color). French green lentils take about 45 minutes to cook, so you’d need to adjust the recipe quite a bit.
We ate up the last of our planned meals and didn’t have anything for tonight until about 4:30pm. Emily and I figured out we had plenty of vegetables in the house along with lentils and chickpeas. So, Moroccan lentil veggie stew it was! Garli, onions, celery, carrots, green pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, canned tomatoes, some spinach at the last second. Cutting all that up was therapeutic today. It was nice to not have to run to the store since it was already getting late to start making food. It was delicious and filling.
Made this tonight with a couple changes. I left out the chickpeas and added a diced russet potato. My lentils and potato weren’t soft yet after 30 minutes, so I added another 30 minutes to the cooking time. To thicken it up at the end, I let it cool down for a bit and then ladled a few cups into a separate pot and used my immersion blender on that, then added the soup puree back to the main pot. That thickened it up nicely. We added a little Tabasco and sour cream to each bowl. We prefer your Mexican Red Lentil Stew (we kept wishing this tasted more like that!), but this one is pretty good too.
So so good!!! Used 4 cups of broth after reading the comments and it’s kind of borderline soup/stew. Also used a mixed bag of broccoli and cauliflower. Can’t recommend this enough! The flavors are so tasty!!
How long would leftovers last in the fridge?
About five days :)
Have made this several times now. Only used 4 cups of liquid as the first time I made it, it was too ‘soupy’ for us. Threw in all sorts of root vegetables and cauliflower plus a tsp of Garam Masala. Added juice of a lemon at the end. Tasted absolutely delicious. Husband wasn’t sure it was going to be spicy enough for his taste but he ended up having two servings!
Going on my ‘comfort food’ repertoire 😋
So good!
This was delicious ! I followed the original recipe except I added some carrots and red bell pepper I had on hand (can’t have too many veggies), and because some people commented it was soupy, decreased the amount of vegetable broth. Really delicious ! I will make again !
Thank you so much for this,
I used about 1-2 tablespoons of fresh, minced/diced cilantro root in the stew and garnished with about half a cup of cilantro leaves and Bulgarian goats cheese.
Absolutely delicious.
Very good recipe! My family loved it! I added a little bit of garam masala, zucchini, carrots, pepper, chicken broth because I didn’t have anymore vegetable broth. My broth had no salt so I added salt to taste n a little sugar to take away bitter taste from spices. My lentils were mixed. It was great. I didn’t try making the recipe for the jasmine rice because I was pressed for time but the plain jasmine rice was on point!!
I love your recipes!! Making this as we speak and it smells absolutely delicious.
It is the best vegetable stew I have ever made! Thank you so much! Love your site!
I agree that this is more soupy, but it’s DELICIOUS. I put a teensy bit less cinnamon in and added a bell pepper the second time I made it. Amazing.
Another amazing recipe. I added more lentils and chicken, carrots. Crazy they don’t have frozen cauliflower anymore so I had to buy the cauliflower and broccoli bag. All your recipes are great! I am so happy I found your site
Flavorful, but like the Vegan Winter Lentil Stew, this is more of a soup than a stew. I used on 5 cups liquid and still soupy. I’d use under 4 cups next time, and add some TVP or additional lentils to thicken it up.
This is my favorite recipe on this website, and it’s so easy, thank you! I’m making it for the third time right now. I like having it with a grilled cheese on the side :)
I was wondering if I could make this in a crockpot? Any suggestions?
I think so! :) I’m not sure how long it would need to cook the lentils without having the vegetables be over cooked, though. It would take a little experimenting. But I’d say that any recipe where you pretty much just put things in a pot and simmer can easily be adapted to a slow cooker, because slow cookers basically just simmer food at a low temperature.
Lindsay,
Made this soup last night and my pot wasn’t big enough, so I used a crock-pot on high for about 6 hours and it worked out very well! I did saute the onions/garlic/celery in a pan prior to adding all the ingredients into the crock pot, but after this step I just dumped all the ingredients in. Yummy!
Thanks for sharing Tay!
I love this soup. It’s a great cold weather recipe and has so much healthy stuff in it! My body feels so good after eating it. I typically double it so we have leftovers to freeze. This time I added a 10 oz block of frozen spinach at the end and just cooked it until thawed. It was the perfect quantity for the doubled batch and a good way to get some extra greens in. Can’t wait for leftovers tonight!
Happy to hear it Claire!
I threw in two handfuls of fresh spinach tonight. Was delicious.
Is that cilantro in the soup? I didn’t see it in the recipe but its definitely that or parsley? Mine is simmering now but do have cilantro so could add that? Smells delicious!
Yes sometimes Beth puts it on top for a pop of color fo the photos. It tastes delicious!
Delicious!! l very rarely follow recipes for soups, I usually find about 4 and then collaborate them and make my own. BUT this one I totally followed the recipe! Its so quick and easy clean up, very little prep. Plus cauliflower is the only thing in the recipe that I don’t always have on hand (I use fresh).
**I double the spices and added extra tomatoes (because we love spice and tomatoes)**
Happy to hear you found another for your rotation Rebecca!
This recipe is the bee’s knees. I cook it quite a bit longer to develop the flavor and make it more stew than soup. Highly recommend!
This is excellent and so easy! To save time (due to a very hungry boyfriend), I subbed turkey sausage crumbles for the lentils but kept everything else the same. It was delicious! Thank you!
Oh that’s a great idea! I may add this to our flexible recipe list with that addition.
When was the last time the cost of the ingredients was updated? I find the prices way too low. The following prices are more realistic and are the prices when on sale: celery – $3 a bunch or $1.50 for half a stalk, tomatoes – $1.49 for a 28 oz. tin, cauliflower – $3 a head or $1.50 for 1/2 lb. The regular price of these items is much more.
Hi Gail! Yes this recipe is over 4 years old, but the recipe prices do populate through an app on our site to remain current. Beth does a lot of her shopping at discount grocery stores such as Aldi. The prices can vary from store to store, and whether the produce is organic or not etc. We do our best to average the prices.
Because this recipe is relatively simple and yields an amazing flavor, it has become a staple recipe in my house. This makes A LOT, so we half the recipe and just use the whole can of beans anyways.
I made this for 18 people and everybody loved it. I doubled the recipe and even had some leftovers. Super easy to make. I’ll make it again, just for me. I recommend chopping everything up first. GREAT RECIPE!!!!!!
Made this today, a really easy and delicious recipe. I added some butter to the oil for flavour as I didn’t have great stock, and it really helped! Obviously my version isn’t vegan but is still a very healthy and cheap vegetarian dish that’ll have me eating in for a few days.
Anyone know how to make this in an Instant Pot?
I made this on a snowy day. So comforting and delicious. I could eat it everyday. My meat and potatoes husband even loved it. I made it exactly as printed. Yum!
Do you recall how much coriander it would have called for? I love coriander and used a teaspoon, which was pretty good.
I added two sweet potatoes, a handful of spinach and red pepper, since they needed using & used the tricolor cauliflower from Trader Joe’s- prettiest soup ever!
Wow! I bet!
What do you use to get the cost of each ingredient next to the recipe ingredients!?
I calculate it all by hand using my receipts and the information from the package, like serving size and number of servings per container. I wrote a post about how to do it so other people can try it at home. It’s really old, but I still use the same method! How To Calculate Recipe Costs
This is the first time making this very yummy soup,!! Thanks for the recipe…..I don’t care for cauliflower so I added zucchini and carrots and it is delicious!!
LOVE this recipe! I made it a while ago, loved it, then forgot where the recipe came from so I’m SO happy to have found it again. I added kidney beans last time, I don’t remember why but I remember thinking it was delicious :)
Another great recipe, warming and cozy for cold weather! I adapted this for the instant pot and wanted to share. I could not for the life of me locate frozen cauliflower, so I just bought it fresh and figured I’d try cooking it in the instant pot to cut down on cooking time for raw cauliflower. I cooked the onion, garlic, and jalapeño (not in the recipe) in oil on the sauté function and then added the rest of the ingredients. I pressure cooked it at high pressure for 15 minutes. I let it release pressure naturally for about ten minutes and then manually released the pressure. It took a really long time to depressurization (maybe because of the large volume of the soup) but everything was cooked great! Fair warning, this method definitely cooked the cauliflower to death — it was completely mushy. But that doesn’t really bother me. This soup is super special. Something about the spices with the vegetables, chickpeas, and lentils is so satisfying.
Eating the last serving six days after I made it and it’s still so good. I used a whole head of fresh cauliflower and added two pounds of potatoes and a box of sliced mushrooms from our CSA delivery, and it was just fabulous. I also added some ghost pepper flakes to elevate it to the heat level I like. Wonderful recipe as always.
Second time I’ve made this and SO DELICIOUS! Two things I ruled at this time: I added the frozen cauliflower, frozen celery, and frozen cilantro (I know!) 10 minutes before it was done. Okay – had to cook it 5 minutes more cuz the lentils again were still not done. Not blaming the recipe as written – I honestly have issues with my understanding of low/high/boil/simmer. My goodness, though…this spice blend is intoxicating. Last thing: I think I need a squeeze of lemon in there. Seriously, I love this.
Absolutely delicious. Like another commenter, I tripled this recipe and it just barely fit in my stock pot (there was like half a cm left lol). I added a bit of eggplant that was left over from making your Ratatouille recipe. I plan on freezing half of it.
For the past several years I have cooked almost exclusively your recipes. Thank you!!!
This is basically a curry. I liked many of the ingredients but I tend to dislike traditional curry.
Beware:
This also leaves a lingering scent of curry that’s difficult to get rid of. It’s cold out but, I had to open the windows and air out the entire house.
We did eat it for dinner, so it’s not horrible, but the turmeric, cumin combo has a specific flavor profile that is very specific.
So good!!! Great for a chilly fall evening. I will make this again!
Hi there, I am not a huge fan of lentils, but love chickpeas! Is it okay to leave them out?
Yes, the soup might be slightly more watery, but it will still be delicious. :)
I made this for lunches this week again and dude, it’s money every time.
So I’m always wary of cinammon in savoury foods. I really can taste the sweetness even if it’s a small amount and I don’t enjoy… Is it completely necessary for this dish? Want to try it for Meal prep 😁
I think it would still be very tasty without the cinnamon, but of course very different than the original version. :)
YUM! I love this soup. I got a little carried away and tripled it in a 12 qt stock pot. It fit, but barely. I froze a couple containers for later and we’ll be eating this all week. My fiance adds precooked chicken and I eat as is. I used frozen diced onions as a shortcut and threw in a jalapeno I had from my garden that needed to be used. Warm, slightly spicy, versatile, healthy; it’s one of my favorites!
I add a little dark beer. It’s great
When do you add the beer? Can you please explain how you do it? Thanks!
Hi! This recipe is great!!!! I usually dont leave comments on recipes i use, either are good or bad, but this dish surprised me in a very nice way. Is delicious, healthy, easy….all the package. Thank you!
I’ve made this stew SO many times. I usually make it ahead and either freeze it portioned out, or keep it in the fridge for a few days. It’s definitely a recipe that improves after a few days, rather than eating it immediately.
This is great. I made it as a slow cooker recipe, I also added cardamom and coriander along with the spices you listed, and I threw in a can of mushrooms and made couscous as well. (Carrots might be a great add-in.) Even my husband really enjoyed it, and he tends toward things with meat in it,
The thing I wondered though is if you would know total sodium in it – he thought it tasted super salty, though I used only a minimal bit of salt substitute – I can’t figure out where since it’s so many fresh vegies and spices and I used low salt diced tomatoes and mushrooms. Anyway, it’s really good, and thanks for posting!
The majority of the salt will come from the vegetable broth. So, you may consider using a low-sodium version. :)
This was quite good! I also added some chopped dried apricots. It really needs a nice dollop of yogurt as well.
This stew was delicious! It was a bit too spicy for me and my boyfriend (but we are pretty whimpy with spiciness). I added more broth to tone it down. I also added extra veggies I had laying around. Great recipe!
Add 1 cup Israeli cooscous, and broccoli (instead of cauliflower) and 1/2 cup finally chopped asparagus and 1/2 cup finally chopped zucchini sautéed with the onion and celery – awesome. You can top with fried onions and Yum!
Sorry forgot the large carrot, finally chopped – love carrots and lentils,
I Googled vegetable stew and this recipe came up. I had several items already on hand so it was easy to put together in a little over an hour. Tastes delicious! And the leftovers will last several days, so I’m pretty happy about that. I’ll add this to the regular meal rotation and make it again soon.
Arlene | frompenniestoplenty.com
I’m not vegan (or even vegetarian), but my sister is. She was visiting and I decided to make this (because I already had all the ingredients). Oh my goodness, it is so flavorful and so filling, you don’t even miss the meat. I’m sure you could put chicken in it, but why would you? This is so easy to make too! I love the step by step and the photos (helps me make sure I’m doing it correctly). This is definitely going into my recipe box! To summarize:
1) Made with fairly common ingredients, I didn’t have to purchase anything special
2) Easy to make (seriously, I was watching my sister’s 8 month old and my 1 year old puppy and cooking this, while she was out in her car looking for something).
3) So FLAVORFUL!!!
4) High in fiber and nutrients, my digestive tract is thanking you.
This looks wonderful. Would it reheat well yo bring to work for lunch? How long does it stay good in the fridge?
Yes, it reheats very well. :) I’d keep it in the fridge for about 4-5 days, but you can also freeze it if you need to keep it longer than that (plan ahead and freeze just after it has completely chilled in the fridge, rather than waiting until the fourth day).
New to vegetarian cooking. Are you using canned lentils or lentils in bag?
Thanks
Uncooked lentils in a bag. :)
If I wanted to add in coriander, how much of it should I use?
I would just sprinkle a few leaves on top after cooking. :)
I have ground coriander.
Substitute half the cumin for coriander. Some cilantro for garnish would also be great.
Just made this! So easy and so yummy! I loved the cumin , tumeric, cinnamon and cayenne combo. Also used “better than boullion “ to make the broth per your recommendation. Have a feeling that I’ll be making this a lot this winter!:)
I made this tonight without the celery and it was delicious! I couldn’t stop eating it and my four-year-old gobbled it up with toast for dipping.
I forgot to mention — I used fresh tomatoes and cauliflower and chicken stock because that’s all I had. It was still terrific and I can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow.
Made this for the second time tonight. Used one tsp.. of coriander and a little heavier on the other spices. I added most of a bag of mixed veggies and some red potatoes. I liked it better with sweet potatoes but I was making it for other people so I did what worked for them. I absolutely love this soup! We added some shredded venison neck roast we had in the fridge to use up. My husband swears it’s the best soup he has ever had. I love It for the smell as much as the taste! I also had to use black beans instead of chickpeas. Thought I had them but alas…no. No big issue, still amazing!
I made this recipe pretty much exactly as the recipe stated. I just happened to have everything on hand. I used a fresh medium cauliflower instead of frozen and my tomatoes were fire roasted. It turned out delicious. I served it with vegan grilled “cheese” yum
This soup was so perfect! I sautéed my onions and celery longer till they caramelized, and added kale, lemon juice and lemon zest to the soup and holy cow it was everything I could have ever wanted and more. Thank you!
We just had our first snow of the year, and the warmth and spices of this stew were perfect to enjoy on a cozy day inside. I served it over rice, but next time I think I’d eat it as-is–there’s already plenty of volume with the lentils and chickpeas. Thank you for yet another delicious recipe!
I made this stew as well and we also had our first snow. My husband is a meat and potatoes guy and he tasted it and absolutely loved the stew!
Looks delicious, but I’m not a big fan of celery stalk. Could I use the root instead ?
Yes you definitely could use the root.
It was FANTASTIC. I had been concerned that it was a little hot for my tastes, but everything balanced out as it cooked. I ended up making a second pot two days later.
Made this 3 times now, and I think I’ll keep making it for the rest of my life. 10/10
I’m putting this soup into my meal plan for next week, and I cannot (!) wait to try it! I’m sure it is going to be amazing like the few other recipes of yours I’ve tried so far. Seriously, you and your website are awesome!! And I just want to say that one of the reasons I love your website is that you only put ONE photo of the dish before I can read the recipe (followed by pictured instructions if we want them). Most other food blogs make me scroll through about 20 photos of the same exact food before I can finallyyyy find the recipe at the bottom of the page. So kudos to you for keeping it simple – and tasty – and awesome. :-)
Thank you! I hate scrolling through a million photos and going on a scavenger hunt for the actual recipe, too. ;)
I love this soup! I’ll be making it again tonight!! Thanks for posting!
Can/how would I add chicken to this recipe?
You could add a chicken breast when you add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and cauliflower, then shred the chicken after the soup simmers for 30 miutes.
This looks great. Any recommendations for a swap for the chickpeas? My husband isn’t a fan of their texture. White beans, maybe?
Yes, I think white beans would be great! I would go with a cannellini bean because they hold their shape better than something like a navy bean, and they’re a little bit larger, which will add texture.
I have a bag of red lentils that need to be used up. Would that alter the cooking time? Thanks, CA
You won’t need to alter the cooking time, but be aware that red lentils tend to break down into mush, similar to split peas, so the final texture of your soup will be different.
Hey Beth! Is this a recipe I could adapt to a slowcooker?
Thanks!
I think so! :) I’m not sure how long it would need to cook the lentils without having the vegetables be over cooked, though. It would take a little experimenting. But I’d say that any recipe where you pretty much just put things in a pot and simmer can easily be adapted to a slow cooker, because slow cookers basically just simmer food at a low temperature.
This looks great. Do you think it would work in the instant pot on the default Soup settings after saute-ing and adding the liquid?
I think so, yes. :)
My grocery has bags of mixed broccoli and cauliflower on sale for only $1 this week. Could I use that mix instead of just cauliflower?
Yes, but broccoli is a little bit more delicate than cauliflower, so the tips may get a little mushy. Also, the broccoli might not be a very pretty color after cooking. Hahah
Would you make this in your instant pot? Just made your beef stew tonight & it was beyond DELICIOUS!!!!!
Yes, I think this could definitely be done in the instant pot. I would check the manual for the recommended setting/time for lentils and use that.
I’m living abroad where some ingredients are scarce. How would I use dry chickpeas instead of canned here? + any subs for celery in this recipe? I can’t wait to fill my kitchen with the cozy scents of these warm spices…
I think your best bet would be to cook the chickpeas separately first, and then add them to the soup when I added the canned chickpeas. That way you won’t have to estimate how much water they’ll absorb or boil the soup forever while waiting for the chickpeas to soften. I don’t know that I can think of anything similar to celery, so I’d probably just leave it out. It will still be delicious.
You could try leeks instead of celery, not exactly the same but I’ve done that sub in other soups and it was tasty!
This was excellent. I used my own home-made veggie broth. An excellent recipe, well-thought out, well-explained, simple, fast and delicious. Lots of anti-inflammatory nutrition for less than a dollar a serving. Keep up the good work!
Best lentil soup recipe I’ve ever come across! I’ve made this soup a few times in the last year. Can’t get enough!! Love the cinnamon.
Great recipe. I used a cup of lentils, but I’m confused by your comment:
“I had a half bag of lentils in my pantry, so I just went with that instead of a whole pound.”
I had originally planned to use a whole pound, which is about two cups, and instead I went with what I had (about one cup) and it was great. :)
This is my absolute favorite recipe. I make it as is and it’s definitely a 10/10.
Isn’t it too long to cook canned chickpeas which is already cooked?
I didn’t find that it caused any issues.
Chickpeas are a really firm bean, so even extra cooking doesn’t break them down the way it would pinto or navy beans. Beans also stop softening after an acid is added to them, so adding beans at the same time as tomatoes prevents any beans from breaking down further.
Nice recipe. Thanks!
I added 1 tsp ground and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. Also added salt and coarse ground pepper to veggies as they sauted. Finally added about 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice to the pot just before serving. Garnished with cilantro.
Next time I’ll go with a with a whole pound of cauliflower.
Thanks Beth,
I used your recipe to give me ideas to cook our dinner tonight. Kids walked in and said, “Mmmmmm, that smells good!” And it was. I served my version it with couscous.
Hello! Completely new to cooking with lentils – do you use dry or tinned for this recipe? Thank you for posting these amazing tips and tricks!
I used dry lentils. :)
Hello! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I have a full head of cauliflower in my fridge, so I’d like to use fresh instead of frozen. At what step would you recommend adding the fresh cauliflower? Thanks!
You can add the fresh cauliflower florets at the same time that you would have added the frozen. They’ll have plenty of time to cook through while the soup simmers. :)
Hi there! I’ve just finished pinning several of your recipes- I can’t wait to try them this week (Moroccan Lentils & Naan). I just wanted to leave a comment to thank you for offering a nice and tidy ‘print’ option for the recipes too. I think a lot of online folks shy away from that, perhaps believing people won’t stick around or click around on their site. But, as a VERRRRY busy homeschooling mom of 4, I spend late-night feedings and insomnia-filled hours pinning and exploring online, and then I need to have it at my fingertips in my recipe binder or it likely will never get made at all. So THANK YOU for that seemingly small detail- it is appreciated! I’ll pop back later and let you know how everyone enjoyed the foodies too :-) Blessings!
Wow, this recipe is awesome!
I didn’t have *diced* tomatoes on hand so I just used tomato sauce instead, and that is the only change to the recipe I made. The stew turned out delicious, thank you so much!
Made this soup last year, we eat it often during the cold months here, which is eight plus months out of the year! Thanks for the wonderful soup recipe.
Beth,
First off, I want to say that this recipe is wonderful. But, I want to point out something important. The title of this recipe says “stew”, yet the description says “soup”. Unfortunately, I did not read your description until after I made the dish, so I was expecting a stew. I thickened it up with some beurre manié and added zucchini, green beans, and an additional 1/2 cup of red/green lentils, and it turned into a stew. I added more of the spices in the recipe in addition to curry powder and salt, which gave it an extra kick. The cilantro on top pulled the dish together even more. I served the stew alongside middle eastern flat bread. Yummy. Thank you.
I made this today and it was delicious and flavorful! I may serve over brown rice to make it a little heartier in the future. My boys (1.5 and 3) ate it up with no complaints. I left out the cayenne. I will make a perfect lunch for us several more times this week.
I’ve made this a few times and love it. It has all my favorite spices in it and being of Middle Eastern decent we use a ton of cinnamon in our cooking, so I was happy to see cinnamon incorporated as well. I only make a few slight modifications, I increase the spices and also add curry powder. I like to eat the stew over Basmati rice so I only add one box of veggies broth so that it comes out thick and hearty. This is a keeper!
Can I substitute red lentils for the brown lentils?
You can, but be aware that red lentils usually break down easily so they won’t be like individual lentils in the stew. It will likely just thicken up the mixture.
This stew is so delicious! Thanks
I loved this dish, but changed it up to make it thicker. I had garam masala around and added that to the spices, plus a dash of curry powder. I had black Bulaga lentils at home and used tboughs, and when I added the lentils I added coconut milk and almost a whole lemon thinly sliced I didn’t want to go to waste in the fridge. Fantastic and a crowd pleaser for sure.
Wow! My family loved this! Thank you for the step by step recipe!
This was delicious! My family of 4 and even neighbors tried this dish – Awesome. Will make again.
Love the stew all year around ! I enjoy all the recipe s .
Could I substitute potatos for the cauliflower?
Sure, I don’t see why not. :)
Learned myself a lesson in lentils this time around. I thought I had been using green lentils (they looked greenish to me), so when I had to buy more lentils at a huge, super-fancy whole foods, they had like twice the variety as my other WF. I went for these green lentils that looked different – bigger and greener than the last ones I had. Well, they definitely took twice as long to cook. My cauli turned to mush. I love the flavor of this so much, it won’t be a problem for me to finish it. But I will stick to brown lentils from now on. Just a warning if anyone uses green instead – don’t add the cauli until the lentils have cooked at least 30 minutes – took me an hour to cook those damn things!
I made this tonight with just a few modifications. I had some carrots laying around, so I added those. I also added the teaspoon of coriander back in (I like coriander, and I had it around so why not?). Last thing I did differently was to use red lentils and decrease the cooking time by about 10 minutes (that’s what I had on hand, otherwise I would’ve used the brown ones.
This tasted (and smelled) great, and was just the thing I needed to clean out some leftover ingredients! Thanks for sharing!
I’m not a vegetarian, but I try to have at least 3 meatless meals a week. Sadly, my repertoire of plant-based recipes is not that vast (yet) and I often fall back onto salads that I add some grains or pulses to, or pasta dishes. I made this stew for lunch today and it was fabulous! My only changes were using fresh cauliflower and green (not brown) lentils that I had on hand. Everything else I did as suggested. It was truly delicious, and I’m looking forward to having some more later this week! Many thanks for sharing this recipe.
YUM!! Loved this soup!! So healthy and flavorful. Thank you, Beth!
Good and simple recipe. i had zero ingredients in my new place, so including the spices i spent about $22, but now that I have those “staples”, it will probably only cost around $7 to make another pot. It was easy to make, healthy, and tastes great! The cinnamon added a nice subtle touch on top of the cayenne and cumin.
Made this just now. No cauliflower on hand and only half a can of tomatoes, so I added a can of marinara sauce. I didn’t have any stock but its still tasty. I was just under a cup on my lentils, so I added jasmine rice to reach the 1 cup line. Going to squeeze a lime into a bowl and eat! I also added a few small red potatoes which I realized was a bad idea, they don’t break apart like the russets.
You know what Beth, it’s not just that your recipes are amazing but it’s also awesome how you show your personality in what you write as well! (True story!) Sometimes your honest humour gives me that added push to try a dish (this being one of many!) that I never regret! Thanks so much for your website, it’s been so helpful for me and my family :)
PS. This recipe is schweeet by the way!
Awwww, thank you!! :D
I pinterest all day looking for recipes and never comment, you have the best site! Step by step photos is exactly what I needed. Thank you so much!!!!!
This is one of my most favorite recipes on Budget Bytes because it is so versatile. Hmmm, I’m low on cash but I have lentils, carrots, kale, and a handful of baby spinach that’s going to go bad. Moroccan lentil vegetable stew is the answer!
We had this tonight for dinner. My meat loving husband is getting used to eating vegan/vegetarian once a week. This one was another winner. I added about twice as much cauliflower, and I added a diced sweet potato. Flavours blended really well.
Thanks again,.
I’ve been a lover of your blog for a long time. I tell EVERYONE I know about it, and have recommended SO many of your amazing recipes. Sadly, this is my first comment.
Anyway.. This is by far one of my FAVORITE recipes! The flavors go so well, and I could literally eat it EVERY DAY. My husband hates cauliflower (yet I still married him!?), and celery. However, he begs to add this to our dinner rotation at least weekly!!
Thank you SO much for sharing all of your amazing recipes with all of us. :)
Looks tasty 😋 going to give these dishes a go..
So good and easy!
Delicious!
Made this for a dinner with friends last night. It got rave reviews and was easy to make. It was a bonus that I already had nearly all the ingredients.
Easy and tasty! Thank you for the recipe!
I happened upon this recipe on Pinterest, and just made a batch of this soup, and it is stupendous! A keeper for sure, and took very little prep and time to cook. The best part is having pretty much all the ingredients on hand.
Thank you so much.
YUM…I am wanting to try it AND wonder if I can use almost any of the beans like Cannelli etc., as I have JUST discovered to my disappointment that Garbanzos are ‘PHYTOESTROGENS” and my breast cancer was estrogen receptive, so …SADLY I will give up garbanzo … and best thoughts about alternative…THANKS!!!
Hmm, I bet cannellini WOULD actually be good with this! Nice thinking! :)
I made it with white beans instead of garbanzo and it was fabulous. Go for it!
This was amazing!! Didn’t even miss having meat.. tried the naan recipe with it.. killer!!!
Tasted great, looking forward to having it again for the next few days. Used aubergine (eggplant) instead of cauliflower as someone else suggested and used up a couple of fresh red chilis I had spare instead of cayenne since it was sold out when I went shopping!
How could I incorporate sweet potato into the dish? I’d like it in chunks throughout the stew but not sure how to cook it. Does it need cooked a little beforehand or will it cook fine adding it in raw before simmering?
I think if you cut the cubes small enough it will cook through while it simmers. Small cubes usually need to boil for about ten minutes or so to become tender.
Tried this recipe again but with courgette, carrots, sweet potato and cavolo nero in place of the cauliflower/celery, plus extra lentils, extra onion and double spices.
Wow, I could seriously eat this all day! Cavolo nero didn’t really work but the courgette/carrot/sweet potato combo was awesome! Will definitely add celery back in next time, maybe some aubergine too.
I just made a version of this now with sweet potato and other root veg, I just added it in after the onions had cooked a bit and it cooked thoroughly, was lovely and soft/squishy so I wouldn’t worry about it, S.potato cooks v fast ! (Though if you did feel the need you could steam it before hand)
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
I think I’d need to test it out first to see if any adjustments would need to be made.
My bad, Beth. Here are your five stars.
Nice, Beth. I made the following substitutions:
Half an unpeeled eggplant in place of cauliflower.
Six good sized garden tomatoes in place of canned.
I also added a bit more cinnamon.
Thank you for the recipe!
Fantastic. I added some zucchini to give it extra color as well as adding a bit more cayenne pepper.
This is also awesome over sweet potato. I had a baked one in the fridge that needed to be eaten (I prep a few each week for easy dinners) and decided the pairing could be just crazy enough to work.
This was very flavorful. I served it over rice. It will have to go into heavy rotation as a healthy option. Thanks for all of the awesomeness. Kudos.
This is one of the best things I’ve ever made! My boyfriend and I make it at least every other week and sometimes freeze it to have on hand.
We eat it alone or serve over this amazing black grain rice we buy in bulk.
YUMMM.
I just made this. The wife and I agree this is delicious and uber-healthy. I served it on rice, and it was scrumptious. Thanks for your continued awesomeness Beth.
hi i was just wondering if i could use green lentils in this recipe. I live in a small town and cant find brown lentils anywhere
You could, but you may need to simmer it a bit longer to make sure they’re tender. Other than that, it should be just fine.
Sorry for double post, forgot to rate : )
I absolutely cannot stand chickpeas, but the rest of this looks great. Do you think there is something I could substitute for the chickpeas that wouldn’t throw the rest of the dish off?
Do you like white beans? I think white beans (like cannellini) would go great with these flavors.
Hmm, they’re not my favorite but I don’t hate them or anything, so I’ll have to try that. Thanks! I’ve never replaced chickpeas in a recipe before (normally I just avoid a recipe if it has them in it, but this sounded too good to outright ignore) so I wasn’t sure where to even begin.
I’m thinking about substituting white beans for chickpeas also, and was wondering if you thought Great Northern beans might break down too much in comparison to cannelini. Great Northern are my favorite so that’s what I’d love to use, but not sure if they’ll mess up the texture.
Also, I have some leftover frozen peas from making your Curry Beef and thought I might throw those in here as well. Do you think they would work well?
The peas would work beautifully. The sweetness of the peas goes really well with the savory spices. Great Northern beans will break down quite a bit, especially compared to the chickpeas, but that will thicken the stew which might be nice in a way. In other words, you might actually like it, but there’s no way to know unless you try it. hahaha (I’m sorry that wasn’t very helpful!) :)
I tried it and it worked beautifully! The beans didn’t break down nearly as much as I expected, and the peas were great. I always appreciate your advice on modifications!
So glad it turned out well! :D
just made it with lentils instead and it was SO GOOD. Any other pulse would work really I reckon
I added a handful of baby carrots, a zucchini, and 8 oz of mushrooms. Also threw in some coconut flakes and curry powder, and doubled all the spices except cayenne, that one was quadrupled. Left out the bay leaf because I have no idea where to find one.
It came out absolutely amazing and even my rooommates who hate anything vegetarian asked for seconds. Plus there were a ton of leftovers.
Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be making this again.
This soup was so delicious and flavorful. It was also very filling. I will definitely make it again. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Can I add meat to this recipe. I bought some stew meat and thinking of adding to it.
I love your website. I can’t wait to go home after a long day of work to try all these recipes.
You could probably sauté the stew meat in the bottom of the pot before adding the onions and garlic. Just until it gets browned, then it will cook the rest of the way through as you continue to cook the rest of the soup.
I made a giant pot of this, and it was good at first, but it turns out it’s not the kind of thing I want to eat several days in a row. (That’s how I usually cook; make giant amounts of something, then eat leftovers for several days.) I don’t mean to imply anything negative about the dish–just that its leftovers, for whatever reason, went from “good” to “meh” for me more quickly than most dishes do.
That said, I froze the rest of the leftovers that we didn’t feel like eating, and a couple weeks later they were delicious! I also served it to a very well-traveled older lady, and she raved about it. It might have even been better thawed and reheated than it was originally.
When I make this in the future, I will either only make a single recipe, or I’ll immediately freeze most of it. Thanks, Beth!
I made this exactly as you directed. Ok, a little less broth and a thyme leaf instead if a Bayleaf. This was only due to what I had on hand. Anyway, it was amazing! great vegetarian meal
I have red lentils, can I substitue those for the brown ones?
You can, but be prepared for them to not hold their shape. Red lentils tend to break down and get very soft. That being said, I think they’ll still taste great in this soup.
Another A+ review! It was a bit more spicy than I expected – but in a good way! (I use sriracha a lot, but had this cayenne kicking around with finally a use for it!) Added carrots and found that Better Than Bouillon stuff. So happy!
Saw the ingredient list . . . didn’t think I’d like it. But I needed to use up leftover lentils.
Tossed it all together . . . didn’t think I’d like it. The smell blend was interesting, but not quite doing it for me.
Tasted. Loved.
Beth, remind me never to doubt you.
This stew is delicious. I made a big batch and
froze several portions for a later date.
Really nice. I knew I had to try this because it’s the same spice mixture as your Yellow Jasmine Rice (which is my FAVORITE – it smells like absolute heaven). I added additional vegetables (carrots, some frozen peppers, a couple zucchini), and halved the cinnamon because I’m a coward. ;) I loved it.
Cooked this tonight, though I was forced to substitute mixed veg for cauliflower. Apparently my store doesn’t sell frozen cauliflower by itself, just as part of a mix? (And I was too lazy to take apart a fresh one). Also used beef broth because it was what I had on hand.
It was hearty, filling, and delicious, and the combo of spices is just perfect. It’s definitely going to be a staple meal now. Thank you!
Try adding the cilantro with the lentils, the flavor then adds to everything else. Also added golden raisins.
I used chicken broth, omitted the cinnamon and added fresh green beans for extra veggies. Ate it with some feta crumbles, which added extra depth. So delicious and healthy – thanks!!
hi beth, we don’t have frozen cauliflower; would frozen okra do, or would that “funkify” the texture? also, we have canned lentils but no dry; could we just add them later, say, 15 min. into the 30 min. simmer time, or would they fall apart? do they need simmer time at all?
thanks so much!!
The canned lentils probably just need enough time to warm through, since they’re already cooked, so I’d definitely add them towards the end. I have to be honest, I’ve never cooked with frozen okra, so I’m not sure how that would do in the stew. :P
Fantastic – Loved this soup really outstanding. (added a chopped pepper & 2 carrots, only because I needed to use them up)
The flavors of this stew were perfect. Loved it.
I made this last night and it was freakin’ awesome! My parents loved it. My whole house spells like spices…
OH. MY. GOODNESS. I made this recipe with chicken broth instead of veggie and sans the bay leaf (thanks, grocery store, for being out of the store brands that are ridiculously more cheap than name brands) but I wish I could eat this all night. I truly wish that I didn’t have a pork roast waiting for its turn to be cooked. I have never knowingly consumed cumin or turmeric, so it was a little risky for me to put those spices in and I am SO glad that I did!
I just can’t rave about this enough.
This soup is amazing and has already turned into a family favorite!! In fact, it was part of both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner! My mother-in-law loved it–she thinks I have a soup gift!
This looks so good, I can’t wait to eat it!
If one was to add meat, what kind would you recommend? (Maybe sausage?)
Hmm, yes a smoked sausage might be pretty good! And chicken goes with pretty much anything. :) You could cut up some chicken thighs and brown them in the beginning to get a little caramelization, or just add some chicken breasts and shred them after the soup simmers.
Best. Soup. Ever…..again! =)
I’ve really been looking forward to making this recipe, and now I finally get a chance! One thing, though: you have something leafy and green in the last picture that isn’t in your ingredients list. Is it parsley or cilantro? Or something else entirely?
It’s cilantro, but I found that it didn’t really add anything to the flavor of the soup (the other spices are so strong that it just got lost), so I didn’t include it in the recipe. It made for nice color in the photos, though. :)
Mmm! I’m eating a bowl of this right now, along with some whole-wheat pita I got on sale and a little dish of olive oil. The stew is so rich and warming and hearty, but a welcome change in style from the other winter soups I’ve been making.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I made this the other night and it was a total winner. It doesn’t keep the cost down, but I added back in some coriander and I threw in some beef (browned first and added with the broth) which was awesome.
Hi Beth, love your website! My husband and I really liked this recipe. I would like to make this stew thicker and add sweet potato. Any tips?
Yep, you can use less broth to help thicken it. Cut the sweet potatoes into one-inch or smaller cubes, so they soften quickly. Slightly mash the cubes after it’s done simmering and that should thicken it up nicely. :)
Hi there! I love your website and use it several times per week for meal ideas!! Can I put all of these ingredients in a crockpot? I a, very busy and a crockpot works for my busy schedule the best. Thank you!!
You probably could, although you run the danger of the vegetables and lentils getting a bit soft and mushy.
I made this tonight for my family, it was awesome. So filling and flavorful. This is probably going to be my new go to soup.
This looks great! Save a bit more by going with dried chickpeas and cooking yourself. Plus, making broth from veggie scraps means the broth is free…a little extra work, but saves money in the long run. Love your site!
We’re trying to clean out the pantry and everytime I think there are just no more meals in there, I come across something on your website that I have all the ingredients for! Thank you!
Made this. LOVED this. I mean, seriously loved this. My five kids loved this. My 2 and 3 year olds ate three helpings! My 15 year old ate 3 helpings!! Of something that wasn’t pizza! I haven’t made a thing on this website we didn’t all love. And I LOVE the way you’ve set up this site. I love that I can pick meat, then the meat I want, and then see pics, and then click a pic and see its title before I click again to see the page. LOVE!!
Only changes I made were: I used chicken broth because that’s what I had, and I used fresh cauliflower because that’s what I had. Thank you for an awesome recipe!!
That’s so awesome that your kids loved it!!
Do you soak the lentils before cooking?
Nope. :)
I have been using your website almost exclusively for the past year, and this might be my favorite recipe so far. I added a big sweet potato in there as well to make it even more filling… the sweetness works really well with the spices from the dish.
Thank you for essentially feeding me for the past year, makes my crazy schedule much more manageable.
Mmmm, thanks for the tip! I made this exactly per her recipe and it was amazing, I’ve been eating it all week and definitely going to make it again soon, and I’ll try it with a sweet potato!
The yellow potatoes I added ended up being my favorite part. Highly recommend them.
Just made this last night, it was delicious! Looking forward to leftovers tonight. Thank you for another delicious recipe! :)
Just made this last night, it was so delicious! Thank you for another great, healthy, simple recipe. :)
Hi,
I’m going to try this tonight. I dont have any cumin. Is there anything else I can substitute for it?
Thanks in advance
Hmm, I really can’t suggest anything in place of the cumin. It’s one of the major flavors in this dish and it’s fairly unique, so I don’t think anything would be a close match.
Thanks for the response. I actually did have cumin. I thought I was out. I didnt have the lentils tho. Lol. I didnt realize it til everything was in the pot. So I continued without it and added sausage. OMG! So good. I had 3 bowls. Thanks. This is definitely a staple in my recipes.
What a great recipe, very tasty…
Eating my first bowl of this right now. Delicious! Like you, I adapted for what was in the house-added a red bell pepper, couldn’t find the turmeric so subbed Penzey’s Turkish mix, had chicken stock to use up, and found that I didn’t have any more garbanzos so used a pint jar of black beans and the pint that got the ends of the prepped beans, so a mix of garbanzo, black and cannellini beans. Still super delicious.
Thanks so much for the recipe, and I am excited to explore more of your website, beyond the SNAP experiment.
Y U M. This was really good, I just made a couple of changes. Halved the cinnamon because it intimidates me in savory dishes, and used 4 cups veg. stock. Cauliflower was a great addition, and you were right– the naan perfected it.
Marvelous, what a web site it is! This blog gives helpful
information to us, keep it up.
Did you leave the carrots out of your version?
Yep, I forgot about the carrots in the mirepoix! They would have been SO good in there, too. :(
I add twice as much turmeric and used fresh tomato. Great recipe overall.
Oh my goodness! This is the best stuff EVER!!! I cannot stop eating it, I am totally serious. And the best part is that my veggie hating husband loved it, too. He said that he could eat it on a regular basis! The flavor is so rich and satisfying. Not only is it filled with deliciousness it’s filled with stuff that’s actually good for you! thanks for such an incredibly amazing and delicious recipe. Now my headed back to the kitchen for another bowl. I am not kidding.
Beth, thank you so much for sharing all your recipes! Easily half of the new recipes I try/love come from your site.
Just a heads-up: you may have accidentally typed “broccoli” instead of “cauliflower” here: Add one 28oz. can of diced tomatoes (with the juices), one 19oz. can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained), and about a 1/2 lb. of frozen broccoli florets (no need to let them thaw).
Hahhaha, thank you for catching that! The brain works in mysterious ways. :)
Would like to try this but I don’t like chickpeas. What can I use instead?
You can try adding some diced potatoes, carrots, or even large lima beans.
I made this last night, using fresh cauliflower instead of frozen and chicken instead of vegetable broth because it’s what I had on hand. I really like the flavor of the broth, and I can see how easy it will be to use whatever vegetables I have on hand. I may try it with only 4 cups of broth next time to make it a little thicker.
Thanks in advance.
If I wanted a thicker lentil dish instead of soup, how much should I reduce the broth by?
Try four cups of broth instead of six.
Is there something I can substitute for lentils? A different type of bean or simply just adding more chickpeas?
Maybe a white bean would be good. Like cannellini?
This looks delicious! I’m not a cauliflower person though-any suggestions on what I could use instead? I’m willing to bite the bullet on celery for soups, but I’m not sure if I should just double the lentils, or throw in a bunch of fresh spinach, or maybe some fresh broccoli? Would that work? I am all about broccoli.
I’m with you – not a cauliflower person. I’ve made moroccan soup/stews with either rutabaga or parsnip (always get them mixed up) and carrot so I wonder if those would work.
I think potatoes would be awesome in this. I’m not sure how broccoli would hold up, but if you love it, I say try it! :)
Potatoes are delicious! Should I cube a raw one, or zap it for a few minutes before cubing it and tossing it in? I will definitely go for some carrot medallions too.
I think you can toss it in there raw, just cut it into small cubes (about a 1/2 inch) so they will cook through in the 30 minutes. :)
Thanks! I chopped up three carrots and a potato, and used 4 cups of broth instead. Perfect thick stew with some great texture from the chickpeas and potato! Thanks so much for all your help tweaking things to humor my pickiness.
Anytime! :)
Gotta love Wegmans! I’m from the place where Wegmans originated and some of their recipes are just fantastic. This looks delicious!
Me, too! Wegmans is the best — I love love love their spicy red lentil chili and despite my best attempts at their recipe, I always cave and buy their prepared version. So delicious!
Is the cilantro added just for the pictures or do you recommend adding it? I don’t see it mentioned in the recipe.
It was in the Wegman’s recipe (to add on top at the end), so I bought it, but didn’t find that it really added anything to the recipe. I’m a cilantro lover, but in this case the soup is so flavorful that the cilantro just got lost. I added it for the pictures, though. :)
I just made this tonight. It was great! I followed the recipe, with two changes: I used half normal diced tomatoes, and half fire-roasted with chiles, and I stirred through some greens (book choy) right at the end. I also used fresh cauliflower, instead of frozen, and that worked great. The only thing I would change next time is a bit less broth – it was a little soupy for a stew. But so tasty!
This looks so good, that I had to go out and buy turmeric just so I could make it!
I just took this off the stove, and oh my word does it smell good in my house!
Thanks for sharing this – it’s very tasty!
I have a head of cauliflower that I need to use up. Could I use that instead of the frozen?
That’s what I did! I also threw in a couple of carrots, chopped up. Turned out great!
Yep, absolutely! :) No changes needed. Just chop it up and toss it in.
I have a similar recipe- can’t remember where I got it. It has raisins, in addition to the chickpeas and cauliflower, and also curry powder.
This looks super tasty, and I’m looking forward to giving it a shot. BTW, to activate the anti-inflammatory elements in the tumeric (the curcumin), make sure to get some black pepper in this dish. For some reason, pepper releases the curcumin (at least, that’s what I’ve read), and pepper only makes a dish better anyway!