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Top-down look at a bowl of beef and lentil stew with diced tomatoes, dried apricot pieces, and parsley scattered across the surface.

Moroccan-Spiced Beef and Lentil Stew

Slow-cooked beef and red lentils with turmeric, cinnamon, and apricots in a savory broth. Serve with pita and yogurt.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Moroccan-Inspired
Servings 8 servings
Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ lbs beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced 1 ½ cups
  • 3 medium carrots, diced ¼ inch heaping 1 cup
  • 3 stalks celery, diced ½ cup
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth 24 ounces
  • 1 cup dry red lentils may sub green or brown lentils
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ⅓ cup dried apricots, finely diced
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped plus more for garnish
  • Optional serving: Whole wheat pita bread or naan (cut into halves or quarters), and dollops of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Instructions
 

  • Sear the beef:

    Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil and swirl to coat the surface. Add beef and sear until browned, roughly 2-3 minutes. Turn pieces and cook for another 2 minutes. Move the browned meat along with any pan juices into the slow cooker.

  • Add vegetables and spices:

    Add to the slow cooker the diced onion, carrots, celery, garlic, diced tomatoes, broth, dry lentils, turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice, and black pepper. Mix well to incorporate.

  • Drop in bay leaves:

    Drop in the bay leaves and gently stir once more.

  • Slow cook until tender:

    Put the lid on and cook on low heat for 7-9 hours, until the lentils are soft.

  • Mix in apricots and herbs:

    Mix in the diced dried apricots, lemon juice, and chopped parsley.

  • Serve with garnishes:

    Spoon into serving bowls. Optionally, garnish with yogurt or sour cream, extra fresh parsley, and cracked black pepper. Accompany with pita bread or naan.
Keyword beef and lentil soup, brown lentil recipes, brown lentil soup, lentil crockpot recipes, lentil dinner recipes, lentil stew recipes, moroccan lentil soup, moroccan-spiced beef and lentil stew