This Moroccan lentil and tomato stew is a simple side dish with a fragrant spiced sauce, perfect for dipping khobz (bread) or serving over couscous.
Recipe Intro
This recipe combines red lentils with tomatoes, both staples in Moroccan cooking. Red lentils are known for their quick-cooking properties and ability to thicken dishes, making this stew satisfying and nutritious.
The recipe uses traditional Moroccan spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, which give the stew its distinctive flavour.
Moroccan red lentil and tomato is a flavour-packed stew that goes perfectly with roasted meats or stands on its own as a satisfying main. You can swap the lentils for chickpeas, both versions are delicious.
Moroccan lentil and tomato stew ingredients
- red lentils – They cook quickly and break down as they simmer, giving the dish a creamy, thick texture. You can use green or brown lentils instead, but they take longer to cook and stay firmer, so the stew will be less creamy and more textured. For a super quick version, you can use canned green or brown lentils.
- tomatoes – Buy a can of chopped tomatoes for best results and ease. Canned tomatoes give a richer, more consistent flavour and save time. If using fresh tomatoes, choose ripe and soft ones.
- onion, garlic – Use fresh, not powdered.
- ginger – Buy fresh for the best flavour.
- spices – Turmeric, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, sweet paprika
- herbs – Use fresh coriander leaves and parsley
- honey – Any honey you prefer.
- tomato concentrate
- olive oil
Optional: If you’re out of lentils, canned chickpeas work just as well.
If you love lentils, try this yummy
How to make Moroccan red lentil and tomato stew
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pot, add the chopped onion and half of the parsley. Fry for 5 minutes. Add all the other spices and sauté for another minute to release their aromas.
- Add water and stir in the washed lentils.
- Cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and honey. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
- The lentils should be soft and the sauce thickened.
- In the final few minutes of cooking, stir in the remaining parsley and coriander leaves.
Serving suggestions
Moroccan lentil and tomato stew as a simple main dish or a thick soup
I served the stew as a main meal with Moroccan bread rolls (recipe coming soon). It was filling and made a simple, healthy lunch.
Moroccan red lentil and tomato stew served as a side dish
I also served the stew as a saucy side dish, spooned over couscous and paired with Moroccan meatballs (recipe soon). The spiced sauce complemented the couscous and meatballs well, adding flavour and moisture.
Recipe Card
Moroccan Lentil and Tomato Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils - cup ~ 230ml
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp tomato concentrate
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1-3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
HERBS & SPICES
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/3 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pot, add chopped onion and half the parsley. Fry for 5 minutes. Add all spices, and fry for 1 minute.
- Add water and rinsed lentils, simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and honey. Cook for another 15 minutes until the lentils are soft and the sauce thickens. If you prefer a thicker stew, let it simmer uncovered a bit longer; for a thinner consistency, just add a little more water as needed.
- When done, stir in the remaining chopped parsley and coriander leaves.