Health

Healthy Recipe: Slow Cooker Moroccan Lentil Soup

Throw the ingredients into the slow cooker for this hearty and high-fiber soup.

This moroccan lentil soup is heart healthy and low in calories, but high in nutrients. Photograph by Melissa Romero.

When it comes to cooking at home, we look for recipes that are delicious, easy, and healthy to boot—and this Moroccan lentil soup from Eating Well magazine is exactly that. 

Filled with vegetables such as carrots and cauliflower, lentils, and a cornucopia of spices, this recipe is heart healthy and low in calories, cholesterol, and fat. The ingredients can be thrown into a slow cooker before work and are ready to be eaten by dinner. The bonus is that there are plenty of leftovers, and the soup gets even tastier with time.

Yield: 12 servings
Per-serving nutrition: 152 calories, 1 gram fat, 28 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams protein, 9 grams fiber, 618 milligrams sodium, 681 milligrams potassium.

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
6 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
3 cups chopped cauliflower
1¾ cups lentils
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups chopped fresh spinach or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1) Add the first 15 ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir well.

2) Turn heat to low and cook for 8 to 10 hours. (To speed up the process, cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.)

3) During the last half hour, stir in spinach. Before serving, add cilantro and lemon juice.

For more nutritious recipes, visit Well+Being’s Healthy Recipes page.