Name: Detox Moroccan Lentil Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon avocado oil; 1 cup chopped onion; 1 cup chopped celery; 1 cup chopped carrot; 1 cup chopped white fingerling potato; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon sea salt (+ more to taste); 1 teaspoon black pepper (+ more to taste); 2 teaspoons turmeric; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 cup green or brown lentils; 1 cup red lentils; 4 cups vegetable broth; 2 cups water; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 1 cup almond milk (or coconut milk depending on your preference); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 – 3 cups spinach

A Cozy Pot of Detox Moroccan Lentil Soup (Yes, You Deserve It)

Let me tell you, nothing hits the spot on a chilly evening (or, in my case, after a late afternoon when I forgot lunch entirely) like a colorful bowl of Moroccan lentil soup. I stumbled on this recipe during one of those clean-out-the-fridge weeks; I’d gotten an avalanche of carrots, a sad little bag of celery, and—wait for it—two types of lentils staring back at me. One 🍲 later, the whole fam was asking for seconds. Even my brother, the “I’m not into veggies” guy, was all in. And if you sneak in an extra squeeze of lemon at the end? Heaven.

Why You’ll Love This (Hint: It Might Even Convert Lentil Skeptics!)

I make this every time I’ve got a gang coming over and nobody can agree on a diet—it’s vegan-friendly, filling, and folks seem to love dunking crusty bread in the broth (that includes you, Aunt Marge, sorry—she’s always asking for the recipe).
Honestly, whenever I need a “reset” after one too many delivery pizzas, I throw this together. It’s all the goodness: warming spices, tons of veggies, and the most satisfying creamy finish. The smell alone should be bottled as a candle.
Kids? They dig the colors, especially after I started calling it “magic rainbow soup.” (Yes, that actually worked.)
Even picky eaters—I’m looking at YOU, little cousin Emma—have been known to come back for a second bowl. And if you love experimenting, half the fun is in messing with the toppings.

What You’ll Need (and How I Fudge It When I’m Out of Stuff)

1 tablespoon avocado oil (sometimes I use olive oil since I always have way too much)
1 cup chopped onion (reds, yellows, or white—doesn’t matter, just don’t use the pickled ones like I did once)
1 cup chopped celery (if you’re not a celery person, honestly, you could sneak in extra carrots or even some chopped fennel)
1 cup chopped carrot (my grandmother swore by multi-colored carrots, but the regular orange ones are just fine)
1 cup chopped white fingerling potato (any waxy potato will work; I once used Yukon Golds and no one complained)
2 garlic cloves, minced (if you’re lazy like me, pre-minced from a jar works in a pinch, but fresh has better “oomph”)
1 teaspoon sea salt (+ more to taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper (+ more to taste)
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (trust me on this—it’s the secret ingredient! unless you really hate cinnamon, but who does?)
1 cup green or brown lentils
1 cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable broth (store-bought is fine; homemade makes you feel like Martha Stewart but tastes about the same)
2 cups water
1/4 cup tomato paste (don’t skip this unless you absolutely have to; in which case, a squirt of ketchup—don’t judge—can work in a real pinch)
1 cup almond milk (or coconut milk depending on your preference; I’ll swap in oat milk if that’s all I’ve got)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (more is more—just my opinion)
2–3 cups spinach (kale or chard is great if spinach is wilty or MIA in your fridge)

How I Throw This Together—A Fool’s Journey

Heat up the avocado oil in a big stockpot or your favorite Dutch oven. Toss in your chopped onion, celery, carrot, fingerling potato, and those smashed garlic cloves. Let everything sizzle over medium heat for about five minutes (until things are starting to smell pretty great and soften a bit). Sprinkle in sea salt, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, ginger, smoked paprika, and—don’t forget—the cinnamon. Give it all a good stir and let those spices toast for a couple of minutes. Don’t freak out if it looks a tad dry right now; trust the process!
Now toss in both lentils (green or brown, plus red). Give them a stir so they’re coated with the oily, spicy goodness—this is where I usually sneak a taste of the veggie mix, just to make sure I haven’t skipped any spices. Pour in the vegetable broth, water, and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste melts in (scrape the bottom so nothing sticks—it’s a pet peeve of mine when it scorches). Bring to a boil, then drop it down to low heat, pop a lid on, and let everything gently simmer for about 30 minutes. Maybe go put your feet up? Or clean the kitchen, if you’re far more industrious than me.
Once the lentils are soft and the soup looks thick and inviting, take the pot off the heat. Pour in the almond milk (or whatever milk you’re using), squeeze in the lemon juice, and dump in the spinach. The spinach will wilt—or just collapse in a pile—after a few stirs. If you like your soup mega creamy, give it an extra minute or two. Taste and add more salt or lemon, if you think it needs it. Ladle into bowls and go wild with your favorite toppings.
For the fancy types (or when I want to feel like a chef): I’ll plop on a scoop of coconut yogurt, a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley, maybe some extra pepper flakes, more cracked pepper, and, if I’m feeling sassy, a few jalapeño slices. The hot-cold combo is the best!

Little Notes (aka: stuff I learned the hard way)

Don’t skip toasting the spices. Seriously, the flavor’s 100x better if you let them bloom in the oil.
That tomato paste? Stir it in thoroughly. Once I tried to rush it and ended up with little tomatoy lumps—not ideal.
I’ve used kale instead of spinach and, honestly, nobody noticed the difference. Use what you got.
If your soup turns out a bit thick on day two, just add a splash of water when reheating. Unless you like it that way.
Be warned: turmeric stains. I ruined my favorite wooden spoon. Still worth it.

Things I’ve Tried (and Some That Flopped)

I once added a dash of cayenne for more heat. Good idea! Just don’t overdo it or you’ll need extra almond milk to cool your mouth.
Chickpeas sound tempting as an add-in (tried it)—ended up a bit too “busy” for my taste. Let the lentils shine.
Sweet potato instead of fingerling: decent, a bit sweeter but works in a pinch.

Essential Gear… Sorta

A big stockpot or Dutch oven is ideal—if you don’t have one, a deep soup pot will do fine. Don’t stress about fancy utensils. A wooden spoon and a decent knife make life easier, but I’ve managed with a butter knife and a mug for stirring when on holiday.

On Keeping Leftovers: My Honest Truth

Stick leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge—they’ll keep for about three days. Though to be real, it’s rare for any to survive beyond tomorrow’s lunch in my house. If you plan ahead (unlike me), the flavors do get deeper overnight, so I secretly like it better the next day.

How I Serve This (and the Family “Rules”)

Bowlfuls, crusty bread on the side, and a tiny mountain of parsley, always. I like to set out lemon wedges, so everyone can jazz up their own. If it’s just me, I go heavy on jalapeños and a dollop of coconut yogurt, sometimes both. Hey, nobody’s judging.

Pro Tips (aka: Kitchen Oopsies I’ve Survived)

Don’t rush the sauté. If you crank the heat, the veggies won’t actually soften—they’ll just brown and taste funny. Trust me, I’ve tried.
Scrape your pot bottom before simmering with all the liquids, especially if your stove has hot spots (mine does).
Lemon juice at the end really perks it up. I forgot it once, and the soup tasted just a bit flat—it’s worth squeezing some in.

Real-Life FAQ (Because People Always Ask)

Can I freeze it? Yep, freezes a treat. Though honestly, I never have leftovers last that long. Let it cool, portion it, chuck it in freezer bags.
Is it spicy? With the spices, there’s warmth but hardly real heat—unless you add jalapeño or pepper flakes for drama.
Why two types of lentils? The green/brown ones add texture, while the red ones go creamy and make everything a bit thick (and I cannot resist a creamy soup, let’s be real).
Coconut milk or almond milk? Either, honestly. I’ve even used oat milk once and the world didn’t end.

So there you go. If you’re feeling the urge for something both nourishing and packed with flavor, this Detox Moroccan Lentil Soup is the way to go. And don’t forget, if your kitchen smells amazing but you’re the only one home, call someone over for soup—good food’s meant to be shared, after all!