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A few years ago, while traveling through various countries, I was lucky enough to get to explore Morocco, and learn the art of preparing Moroccan spiced lentils.

While I was there, I met a very sweet family who invited me over to dinner a few nights a week, eventually teaching me a few things along the way. On my last week there, they decided to have me cook with them so we could collectively pour some love into our last meal together. They knew my diet was primarily plant-based, so they taught me how to make authentic couscous, along with these Moroccan Spiced Lentils I want to share with you today.

Surprisingly, this recipe is very easy and only takes around 15-20 minutes to make. A little pro-tip for you though, the longer you let the lentils steep with the tomatoes and spices, the tastier they get.

What you need
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup lentils (rinsed & drained)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup garlic & onion pasta sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 3 saffron strands
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 to 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
Instructions

1. Cook lentils by bringing water to a boil and adding in lentils. Once lentils are in pot, bring back to a boil before reducing the heat to a low simmer & letting cook (uncovered) for 20 minutes, or until water has absorbed into the lentils.

2. While lentils are cooking, add garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, tomato sauce, coconut sugar, sea salt, paprika, cumin, coriander, saffron, ginger, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender and mix thoroughly to combine.

3. Once your sauce has blended and there are no remnants of onion or peppers, taste to ensure that the flavor is to your liking. Don’t be afraid to add more spices or salt if you want a stronger flavor!

4. Once the lentils have cooked, drain any excess liquid and add your sauce & chopped parsley to the pot. Stir to combine.

5. Enjoy!

Check out more of my vegan recipes here