A richly spiced Moroccan-inspired soup, full of flavor, nutrients and soul-warming color. Saffron, dried apricots and preserved lemon give this Chicken Lentil Soup depth. It is easy to throw together, making it perfect for any day of the week!
It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. ~Charles Spurgeon
My son Fin and I have committed to a walk around the block, with Bo dog, just before bedtime. Leaving the cozy warm house is not always easy, however, as soon as we step outside there is something so tranquil and calming about the darkness and the feeling of the night air on our skin. It is like our cells recognize the season and we become more grounded and settled sensing place and time of day. It is a lovely simple ritual that slows us down and brings us right into the moment. I try to remind myself that someday I may be longing for times like these with my boy, giving me incentive to carry on with simple actions that bring joy.
This time of year also signifies soup season for me. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner… it just feels so nurturing! Plus it is easy to pack nutrition into the soup.
This Moroccan inspired Chicken Soup is pretty easy to throw together. The colors of this soup make it that much more delicious. Perfect for winter’s dark days, a little color does wonders for body and soul.
Gather up ingredients. Taking time to enjoy the aromas of the spices.
With organic ginger root, don’t bother peeling.
Start sautéing with onion and ginger.
Sauteing for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to soften and caramelize.
Add spices.
Saute’ another minute more to enliven the flavor of the spices.
Lightly crush saffron.
Add stock, lentils and whole chicken thighs. Simmer 30 minutes.
Remove cooked chicken thighs and shred.
Add shredded chicken back into the soup along with the fresh spinach, preserved lemon and honey.
Divide the fragrant brothy soup among bowls and enjoy with fresh baked pita bread or crusty bread.
I hope this Moroccon Chicken Lentil Soup recipe brings you some moments of happiness.
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- Homemade Pita Bread
Moroccan Chicken Lentil Soup with Spinach, and Preserved Lemon
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Soup, chicken,
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: moroccan
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A richly spiced Moroccan-inspired soup, full of flavor, nutrients and soul-warming color. Saffron, dried apricots and preserved lemon give this brothy Chicken Lentil Soup its depth. Easy to throw together, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 4 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dry brown lentils
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped in small pieces
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (close to 1 pound)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons preserved lemon, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3–4 oz fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- In a medium soup pot, sauté the onion and ginger in olive oil over medium heat, until soft and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.
- Add cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne, saute another minute.
- Add chicken stock, lentils, salt, saffron, dried apricots, and chicken thighs.
- Bring to a simmer and cover with lid vented for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove chicken and shred, pulling apart with 2 forks. Return chicken to the soup pot.
- Add the preserved lemon, honey, fresh spinach, and parsley, and serve!
Notes
Serve with crusty bread or fresh pita bread.
Soup will keep 4-5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 412
- Sugar: 7.7 g
- Sodium: 1088.9 mg
- Fat: 13.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.5 g
- Fiber: 4.1 g
- Protein: 42.6 g
- Cholesterol: 147.3 mg
Has anyone tried this without the chicken?
This is one of my favorites!!! My saffron comes from Trader Joes – so I don’t expect a big bang from that product, knowing what it takes to harvest saffron. . . . In the end, the soup is delicious. . .
Great to hear!
This is excellent. I would use a bit more broth next time but I love the apricots.
Glad you enjoyed Josie!
I’ve been making this soup for years, so Thought to leave a comment. Honestly, maybe I already have? This is a great flavor combination, easy and versatile soup! We love it. This time I had a very concentrated turkey bone broth I made last week, and leftover turkey meat from the Thanksgiving feast. Did not have any spinach so added some chopped up Napa cabbage, and a little more honey since I had no dried fruit. We cook Moroccan quite often, our friends run a restaurant in NYC, so got hooked decades ago – this is a staple. Cheers,
Thanks so much Aga, love hearing this! The turkey sounds amazing.
I think this is a good recipe, but it calls for FAR too much saffron!
Thanks John, and I think it really depends on the strength/quality of the saffron- they can vary greatly in intensity. You must have really GOOD saffron!
This soup is top notch. I served it, and immediately everyone asked for the recipe. Sylvia, this one is a hit!!! I used the rind from whole preserved lemons; is this the right idea? So grateful for this one!
Exactly Amy, the rind is where the flavor is. So thrilled you are enjoying!
5 PLUS stars!****** I forgot to rate it when I wrote my comment:) Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
So great to hear this Melissa!
I was looking for something different and delicious to break out of my dinner routine and this caught my eye. And oh how delicious it is….easy and relaxing to make on a tired Friday evening as well. Thank you! I love the lemon bursts…the tart flavor complementing the sweet and complex spice tones.
A perfect, nourishing meal for fall. Delicious!
Great to hear Sally!
Delicious! And so easy to put together. The preserved lemon adds so much flavor.
Happy you enjoyed!
This recipe is one of the best things I’ve made in my kitchen! The depth and variety of flavors included are amazing. I will make this again and again.
So great to hear Jennifer!
Excellent!
Can’t wait to try this. Do you think it would freeze well? Perhaps without the greens?
I think it would freeze just fine! To keep the greens vibrant, adding after reheating is a good idea.
This is my favorite recipe of all time, I have made it many times. Thank you, any future plans for a cookbook coming out?
We are so glad you love this one! So much flavor!