The Dish
This is one super flavorful soup. And, as a bonus, this Moroccan-style turkey and lentil soup is a marvelous way to use up leftovers. We can not get enough of the Moroccan spice blend, ras el hanout. Ras el hanout is a vibrant, earthy mix of several spices: cinnamon, cumin, coriander, ginger, pepper, etc. It works wonders with this recipe (and can typically be found at most grocers, and if not, definitely found and purchased online). The quartet of soup vegetables (garlic, onion, carrots, and celery) are sautéed and seasoned with ras el hanout before adding the broth and lentils. Once the lentils are tender, leftover cooked turkey breast (or chicken) is added to the mix. A hearty, delicious, and filling soup. To use for sopping or dipping into our soup, we crafted these simple goat cheese pita toasties.
Vegan Modification
Feel free to substitute the turkey in this recipe for your favorite vegan alternative. Alternative chicken or ground altternative meat work really well with this recipe. For the toasties, feel free to sub the goat cheese for your favorite vegan soft cheese alternative (vegan cream cheese or cashew cheese is very tasty).