Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Beef & Lentil Soup Recipe
Right here’s a distinct beef mince recipe thought for you – a hearty Beef & Lentil Soup with greens! Tailored from my Greatest Ever Lentil Soup with the addition of floor beef and Moroccan-inspired spicing for further tastiness, lentil soups could be so boring … however not this one!
Wholesome, hearty, economical and an entire dinner made in a single pot. Yessss…..
It is a hearty lentil soup loaded up with a number of greens and the comfort of floor beef for the meat! Why don’t we use beef mince in soup extra usually? It’s so helpful and economical, it soaks up flavour and makes this one-pot hearty meal a really low-effort endeavour.
My type of Wednesday night time dinner!
I wish to brown the meat utilizing spices to include flavour into it which then seeps into the soup broth. So it is a entire lot tastier than the same old lentil soups which have a foul status for being bland and boring……😇
I like so as to add a sprinkling of Moroccan flavours on this so as to add curiosity. However there’s so many prospects utilizing no matter you’ve bought! Curry, Greek, Italian, Mexican… I’ve steered some within the recipe notes!
Right here’s what you could make this:
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Beef – Floor beef / beef mince. Identical factor, totally different identify, relying on the place you’re on the planet! Use lean beef if you happen to favor, although the fattier it’s, the higher beef flavour you’ll get (as a result of fats is definitely the place a lot of the flavour is with any meat). Substitute with every other floor meat – pork, chicken, turkey, even lamb. All you’ll need to do is modify the spice portions a bit – the whiter the meat, the extra spice you’ll need (as a result of the meat flavour is extra impartial in mince kind as a result of the meat doesn’t brown like when searing, for instance, a complete chicken breast);
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Lentils – Dried lentils works very well right here since you get a bit of additional flavour and thickening of the broth. However canned will work simply positive too. Substitute: Chickpeas or beans!
You should utilize canned lentils in order for you, however dried lentils style higher plus they thicken the soup broth a bit.
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Onion & garlic – Important and commonplace flavour bases for the soup;
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Moroccan spices – That is the place you possibly can add any flavour you need! And it’s very easy to determine how a lot to make use of. Begin conservatively, add it little by little and style, and hold including as wanted till it tastes proper to you. I saved the bottom recipe easy through the use of retailer purchased Moroccan spice combine as my predominant flavour, then spruced it up with a bit of additional spices. See recipe notes for an inventory of options – go world!
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Canned crushed tomato – or tomato passata, what’s known as tomato sauce within the US (it’s tomato passata + a contact of flavour) and even my tomato paste substitute for canned tomato, click on right here for the recipe;
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Beef inventory/broth – For large hearty beef flavour. Nevertheless vegetable or chicken inventory/broth will work a deal with right here. For soups, I do advocate shopping for inventory in liquid kind fairly than utilizing cubes or powder as a result of the flavour is cleaner and extra pure. Should you solely have bouillon cubes or powder, that may work positive however sauté the onion, celery and carrots slowly for longer. It will kind a terrific soffrito flavour base to compensate. Instructions are within the recipe;
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Greens! Use 6 – 8 cups of something you need that cooks properly in soup broth! I’ve included an in depth record within the recipe notes. I sometimes firstly add greens that may maintain as much as a 25-minute simmer originally (eg. carrots, celery), then greens I need to keep greener and/or not flip into mush in the direction of the tip (eg. beans, zucchini). It additionally relies upon how massive you narrow them – I’ve diced them so that you get a little bit of every little thing in every spoonful.
And right here’s learn how to make it:
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Combine the spices in a bowl first – We’re going to make use of some to brown the meat, and a few to flavour the soup broth;
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Prepare dinner onion, beef – Sauté the onion and garlic (important flavour base!) then brown the meat, breaking it up as you go (flat edge wood spatula makes brief work of this);
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Brown beef with spices – Add a number of the spices and prepare dinner it with the meat. Right here we add a ton of additional flavour into this soup, so prepare dinner off these spices properly! Have a nibble and ensure it’s tasty, then tweak as wanted. A number of the flavour will seep into the soup, however most stays on the meat;
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Add every little thing else – Add the greens that may maintain a 25 minute simmer together with all of the broth elements (tomato, beef inventory, water, remaining spices) and provides it massive stir;
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Simmer for 25 – half-hour for the lentils to melt and tomato to interrupt down so it thickens the sauce. TIP: Older dried lentils take longer to prepare dinner, so actually previous ones may take 35 minutes. Add the faster-cooking greens partway by way of, and based mostly on how lengthy they take to prepare dinner. I added the diced zucchini and inexperienced beans after quarter-hour – in order that they cooked for 10 minutes. This was greater than adequate to prepare dinner them by way of till tender and to take in broth flavour; and
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Serve! As a result of I went for a Moroccan flavour for the bottom recipe, I completed with a dollop of yogurt and a few contemporary coriander. I’ll pop an inventory of steered finishes for different spice combine mixtures within the recipe card.
The soup broth is thickened by the starch from the lentils and the crushed tomatoes which are simmered in order that they break down.
It is a soup that ticks lots of bins for me:
✔️ Fast to make utilizing any greens I’ve (nice fridge clean-out dish!) and no chopping meat;
✔️ You can provide it kapow! flavours by actually dialling up the spices as a lot as you want. It’s straightforward to determine: Simply add and style, add and style! As written it’s simply properly spiced to provide it a little bit of curiosity, however deliberately not in-your-face spicing (I save my actual spice bombing for curries);
✔️ It’s very economical and versatile. Change up the spices to no matter you’re feeling like right now!
✔️ Freezes 100% completely and retains for days within the fridge; and
✔️ It’s an entire, wholesome meal in a single pot: Meat, starch and plenty of greens. No have to make a separate facet!
Hope you take pleasure in! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tbsp Moroccan spice mix (store-bought) , any brand is fine, I used this one
- 1 tsp allspice (mixed spice will work too)
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, white, or yellow)
- 500g / 1lb beef mince (ground beef) (I use lean)
- 1 1/4 cups dried lentils (or 2 cans, drained, Note 3)
- 2 carrots *, cut into 1cm / 1/3” dice
- 2 celery stalks *, chopped into 1cm / 1/3”pieces
- 2 zucchinis *(small, or 1 large), cut into 1cm / 1/3” dice
- 100g / 4 oz green beans *, trimmed, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2” pieces
- 800g / 28 oz crushed canned tomato
- 4 cups / 1 litre beef stock , low sodium (Note 4)
- 3 cups water
- Yogurt (plain or Greek)
- 1/4 cup Coriander/cilantro leaves, or sliced green onions
Instructions
- Mix spices in a small bowl.
- Saute onion & garlic: Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3 minutes until golden on the edges.
- Brown & spice beef: Turn heat up to high, add beef and cook until it's no longer red, breaking it up as you go. Add 2 tablespoons of the Spice Mix and cook it for a further 2 minutes – it will smell so good!
- Carrot & celery: Add carrot and celery, then stir for 1 minute. (If using your own veg mix, add the veg in this step that will hold up to full 25 min simmer time)
- Make broth: Add water, beef stock, canned tomato, lentils and remaining Spice Mix too. Give it a stir, bring to simmer, then place lid on and reduce to medium low so it's simmering gently. Lentils will take 25 – 30 minutes to cook until soft. Very old lentils can take 5 – 10 minutes longer.
- Simmer 15 minutes then add zucchini & green beans.
- Simmer 10 minutes longer or until lentils are soft (ie. 25 minutes total).
- Serve! Taste and add more salt if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve with yogurt and coriander.
Notes
* Switch these suggested vegetables for 6 to 8 cups of any vegetables that can be simmered. Add them according to their estimated cook time. Also, stirring in spinach, kale or baby spinach at the end is a nice way of sneaking in even more greens as well as adding some colour.
1. Spice mix – Lots of possibilities here. It’s easy to judge quantity by adding bit by bit and tasting as you go! I’ve used a handy simple Moroccan Spice Mix option to give this a flavour boost with minimal effort. But some other suggestions:
Mexican – You can totally cheat and use a packet of taco seasoning (1 pack is the perfect amount) or use the Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe in this Taco Soup. Serve with dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese, corn chips or warm tortillas for dunking. SO GOOD!
Indian – Use a good dose of your favourite curry powder (packet, or mix up as you like) with a touch of Garam Masala for extra authentic flavour! I would use at least 1 tbsp curry in the beef + 1 tsp Garam Masala, then the same in the broth. Add chilli powder or cayenne for heat! Serve with yogurt and coriander/cilantro;
Greek style – Double the garlic, add 1 tbsp oregano leaves and 2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds into the beef. Follow recipe as written, finish with the zest of 1 lemon + lemon juice to taste. Flatbread for dunking!
Italian – Add 2 – 3 teaspoons of Italian herb mix into the beef, plus a teaspoon more into the broth, plus a pinch of chilli flakes. Stir in 1/2 cup of grated parmesan and finish with a sprinkling of extra parmesan. Serve with crusty bread. SO GOOD!
Cajun – Use a good Cajun spice mix! Add a tablespoon into the beef, then add more to taste into the broth – just taste and simmer.
Middle Eastern Shawarma-flavour – Make it from scratch yourself using the spice mix in this Lamb Shawarma Chickpea Soup recipe.
2. Salt – We start with a small amount then add more at end if needed because some Moroccan Spice Mixes are salted, and we don’t want to over salt.
3. Lentils – Use green or brown dried, or 2 x 400g/14oz cans (drained). For canned lentils, add them 15 minutes into the simmer time – they only need 10 to 15 minutes in the broth (much longer and they will get too mushy).
Avoid Puy lentils/French lentils, they hold their shape and don’t soften the way we want here!
Chickpeas – Excellent alternative, will be like this Lamb Shawarma Mince Chickpea Soup. Beans will also work. Chickpeas and beans can be added atet beginning of the cook simmer time, use 2 x cans (drained).
4. Beef stock/broth – Use low sodium so you can control the salt in the soup yourself, especially because some Moroccan Spice Mixes have salt in them too.Stock cubes or powder can be used but the flavour isn’t as clean/pure. If you wish to use it, we need to improve the flavour base as follows:
Sauté the onion, celery and carrots together on medium low for 8 minutes – this will form a terrific soffrito flavour base to compensate;
Use 4 cubes or 4 teaspoons powder and 1 litre / 4 cups water (in place of beef stock).
5. Storage – fridge up to 5 days, or freezer for 3 months.
6. Nutrition per serving, excluding toppings.
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