This hearty Mediterranean Lentil Soup is a fusion of Middle Eastern, Moroccan, and Israeli flavors. With earthy hawaij seasoning, this soup combines ground lamb and fresh produce for a stew that packs in the nutrition without skimping on deliciousness. Serve alongside my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad for a full meal experience!
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and leeks, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and bell pepper and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, or until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the ground lamb and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat as it browns, about 5 minutes. Add the hawaij, cumin, coriander, and nutmeg, then stir for 1 minute. Add the broth, lentils, sweet potatoes, and harissa paste with preserved lemon and stir until combined. Bring mixture to a low boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 45 minutes, or until lentils are cooked and potatoes are softened.
Adjust seasoning as desired, then stir in spinach until wilted and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, red chiles, and cilantro.
Notes
I use a hawaij seasoning blend from New York Shuk, but you can create your own mixture using turmeric, cumin, black pepper, coriander, cardamom, and cloves.
I also incorporate New York Shuk's harissa paste with preserved lemon, but if you only have traditional harissa paste on-hand, add in 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and a pinch of sea salt to mimic the preserved lemon.
If you only have harissa powder on-hand, start by adding 1 tablespoon to the soup with the regular seasonings and after simmering, adjust to your desired level of heat. With the paste as listed, there should be a nice punch of heat, but it shouldn't be overwhelming.
Feel free to use ground beef instead of lamb if you can't find any locally.
I recommend grating whole nutmeg instead of using ground, the flavor is superior!