Soups are some of the best things to make in the colder months because they pack a slew of delicious flavors into one warm and soothing meal that tends to get more flavorful the longer it sits. And flavors can go way beyond what you find in a Campbell’s can. This vegetarian lentil and chickpea soup is the perfect example. It’s a Moroccan twist on lentil soup that’s packed with fiber and vegetarian protein.
It’s a nice break from traditional warm winter flavors, too, with the spice and zing of fresh ginger, the richness of coriander, smoked paprika, cumin, and the warmth of cinnamon. I like the hardiness of kale in this soup but feel free to swap it for and sturdy green—even spinach. And if you can’t get your hands on green lentils, brown lentils work just as well. Enjoy!
Vegetarian Lentil and Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup dried lentils (brown or green)
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in the coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the broth, chickpeas, and lentils; increase the heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover (keeping the lid slightly open for steam to escape), and simmer until the lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the kale and continue to cook, partially covered, until the leaves are tender, about 5 more minutes. Take the Dutch oven off the heat and stir in the fresh cilantro and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Delicious! Great flavors and love how much nutrition is packed in. The ingredient list looked long to me at first glance, but it did not take me long to prepare at all. This recipe is a keeper!
Can’t wait to eat this Lentil Chick Pea soup. It smells devine. Yummy. Thanks for this recipe. My lentil soup is typically boring
I tried Lentil and Chickpea Soup and my Son loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Amazing recipe, thank you for sharing
Absolutely love this recipe! And its very high in protein which is plus!
What is the serving size? One cup?
Spices are amazing. House smelled so good. Next time I will try less crushed tomatoes. It has a thick tomato soup consistency.
Excellent!! I am so happy with the flavor of this soup. Such a simple recipe but so delicious! Thank you!
Wait until you see how your house smells! It is so lovely. The stew is very hearty . We discovered a version of this at a high end hotel in Mammoth and ate it 3 days in a row. Makes plenty of stew, froze part of it for later date. Served with crusty bread. Heaven.
I made this last week and it was delicious.
I didn’t enjoy this :( it was too bland and watery- wonder where I went wrong?