I'm quite surprised this recipe is called "Moroccan" as the significant ingredients aren't used in Moroccan cooking (my hubster is Moroccan so I know Moroccan cooking). With that said - I altered the recipe as follows: I used brown (aka green) lentils as these are more traditional (and added a handful of red lentils for texture), 1 heaping tablespoon of ginger paste, 1 can of red kidney beans, 1 can northern white beans, 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 can stewed tomatoes. Do NOT use cardamom or garam masala (these are INDIAN spices not Moroccan). I strongly recommend salt/pepper to taste, cumin, and RAS EL HANOUT. Ras el hanout is a classic blend of Moroccan spices - similar to garam masala but different. Ras el hanout varies from one Moroccan to another but generally it's the following spices (usually whole spices all ground together but you can use the ground versions as well):
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1 t cumin, 1 t ginger, 1 t salt, 1 t pepper, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t coriander, 1/2 t allspice, 1/4 t cloves and a pinch of saffron >>>
I pressure cooked everything together for about 10 minutes and voila - delicious! Here's a helpful cooking tip: If cooking on the stove (or even the crockpot)- the lentils will cook faster if you do NOT add the salt or tomatoes until the end... salt and the acidity of the tomatoes prevents beans/lentils from softening which will prolong the cooking time. ***UPDATE*** Recipe with Indian spices is good too - make sure to double the spice though.
Upon sampling this soup, my morrocan husband stated, "something is in there that doesn't belong in there." When i rattled off the list of spices he said the Garam Marsala didn't belong, although he stated it was good. For an authentic morrocan taste, substitute "Rus Al Hanoot" for the Garam Marsala. GM is a blend of indian spices, while Rus Al Hanoot is a blend of morrocan spices.
This soup has an excellent Indian flavor. Some friends walked into the house just after I started to boil the soup and they commented on the wonderful aroma that filled the house! I used brown lentils instead of red, I used red kidney beans instead of cannellini (which is white kidney beans), and I diced my own carrots, tomatoes, and celery. Fresh is always better than canned! I also used bagged beans instead of canned because of the higher nutritional value bagged beans have, so I had to let the soup cook longer (I made it around 8 AM and it was ready by 9 PM. I didn't have any cardamom so I used 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoon of ground cloves. Garam masala is a spice combo of cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper, so you don't really need more garam masala... A great taste!
This is good, and so easy. I did it in the crockpot, and didn't sautee anything beforehand, just threw it all in (no oil). Sadly, I forgot to buy fresh ginger so I just used dried. I had brown lentils, so I used those instead, but am interested in trying the red. I used 4 cups (a carton) of veggie broth and 2 cups water. Cooked in my crockpot for about 12 hours on low, and it was perfect. Thick and yummy. I added an extra 1/2 tsp. of garam masala because I love it. I only used a sprinkle of cayenne. Served with warm mini wheat pitas from Trader Joe's.
i love lentil soup it always makes me feel so healthy eating it. and this one did not disappoint. i made a couple of alterations as others did i used chicken broth instead of plain water. i did increase the garam masala and garlic. i stretched the soup by using one cup of red lentils and one cup of brown. increased the broth by a few cups and added 10 oz. box of frozen spinach in the last 15 minutes. i also sauteed some hot italian sausage for my husband so he thinks he's getting a full meal. but i didn't add that to the soup just put his bowl of soup. this is different from my usual lentil or curried lentil and i would recommend it to everyone. thanks for a great recipe.
Excellent soup - very aromatic and flavorful. However a bottle of ground cardamom cost nearly 13 Since it was the first time using this spice I was reluctant to spend that much. Was able to purchase only the amount I needed from the bulk section of a health food store.
I really should have liked this more than I did. The combination of garam masala and cardamon were just overwhelming to me. I had made a big batch & ended up giving it to friends who loved it. I would recommend using half the spice levels then increasing if you like.
This is good with a few additions/subtractions. I used turkey broth I had in the fridge instead of water. I also didn't add the garam marsala as this is not a traditional North African spice more of an Indian spice. I added traditional Tunisian chili powder (Harissa) and did not bother to puree as the red lentils basically helped thicken it and I like a 'meatier' soup. This is a nice soup during the winter and a new soup for me to make for my husband during the Ramadan season.
This was an excellent soup! I used whole cardamom seeds instead of the ground cardamom which resulted in a very strong flavor and aroma. Perfect for those who love African and Indian spices. I will definitely make this soup again.
