Moroccan Lentil Soup

Once the weather starts to get colder, for some reason my body craves 'soup'. A hearty soup is the best on a cold, rainy day. One of my favorites is the lentil soup noted below. I originally copied this recipe from 'AllRecipes.com', but I modified it a bit. And istead of doing this soup on the stovetop, I use my trusty crock pot. Enjoy! This is definitely a staple in our house during the fall/winter.

1 chopped onion
Beef cubes
Salt (to taste) – just a pinch
Paprika – use judgement
Cinnamon – just a pinch
Nutmeg – just a pinch
Red Pepper flakes – just a pinch
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
4 cups beef broth (Swanson – low sodium)
2 cups water
1 cup red lentils (or brown)
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained (these are also chickpeas)
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans (or white kidney beans)
1 (14.5) can diced tomatoes (drain some of the juice)
½ cup diced carrots (about 15 baby carrots)
½ cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (not necessary if we don’t have any though)
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:
Put all ingredients in Crock Pot. Simmer for 6-8 hours on low.