Lentil Quinoa Soup (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Lentil Quinoa Soup – a hearty, high-protein soup that’s easy and delicious! Using pantry and fridge staples, this recipe comes together easily. Perfect for any night of the week!

Soup is one of the easiest ways to pack a lot of nutrition into every bite. It’s also easy to customize with your favorite seasonings and produce. This Lentil Quinoa Soup needs minimal prep and is ready to hit the dinner table in about 45 minutes. Enjoy it with a side of crusty bread or serve it over noodles for an even more satisfying meal.

Is Quinoa Soup Healthy?

Quinoa is a seed containing sufficient amounts of all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. It’s naturally gluten free and is high in fiber. [source]

Onions, carrots, lentils, tomatoes, vegetable broth, spices, and herbs bring flavor and texture and lots of nutrition.

Loaded with plant protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, energizing carbs, and good fats, yes, this quinoa soup is a healthy meal. 

What Kind of Lentils Should I Use?

Brown or green lentils are best to use in this vegan soup recipe. They will hold their shape and texture, whereas red lentils would disintegrate into the soup.

Be sure to rinse the lentils well under cold water and pick through them to ensure there is no small rocks or debris. 

Do I Have to Rinse Quinoa?

As stated above, you must rinse your lentils thoroughly before cooking with them. While quinoa doesn’t necessarily have to be rinsed, it’s something that I always do. The little seeds are coated in saponin, a naturally occurring substance that protects the plant from fungus and insects. While the toxicity levels of saponin is low, it can be an irritant to some and it can leave the quinoa tasting bitter or “soapy.” [source] 

Some brands may say “pre-rinsed” on the package, but I always rinse well under cold water again just to be sure.

Love quinoa? Don’t miss these other vegan quinoa recipes!

• Quinoa Kale Salad
• Sweet Potato Quinoa Buddha Bowl
• Summer Quinoa Salad
• Baked Quinoa Patties
• Quinoa Black Bean Chili

 How to Make Lentil Quinoa Soup

This soup recipe is easy to make. It comes together with just a few simple steps and in under an hour!

1. Chop the onion, garlic, and carrots. Rinse the lentils and quinoa.
2. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste and seasonings until fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes, broth, water, lentils, and quinoa. 
4. Simmer until the lentils are tender.
5. Finish with salt, pepper, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and fresh chopped parsley.
6. Enjoy!

Note: Do not add the salt or lemon juice before the lentils have cooked. Acidic ingredients can prevent the lentils from fully cooking, causing a hard texture we don’t want.

What Vegetables Can I Add?

The beauty of most soup recipes is that you can generally add in any vegetables you have on hand. It’s the perfect vessel for using up any veggies you have in the back of your fridge that may be on the verge of going bad.

Other vegetables that would work well in this soup: celery, spinach or kale, potatoes, zucchini, green beans, etc.

What Can I Serve with This Soup?

This soup is hearty enough to be a meal on it’s own, but if you need something more try serving it with whole wheat or seed crackers (Mary’s Gone Crackers is my fave!), a hunk of crusty bread and butter (Miyoko’s dairy-free butter is the best!), an easy green salad, or even serve the soup over cooked noodles (my kids’ fave way to eat anything!) or mashed potatoes.

More easy vegan soup recipes to love!

• Easy Mushroom Soup
• Quick Split Pea Soup
• Vegan Minestrone
• Vegan Ramen Soup
• Vegan Potato Soup

Lentil Quinoa Soup

I hope you love this Smoky Lentil Quinoa Soup as much as we do. If you try it, please come back and leave me a message below with your feedback. And be sure to leave a star rating in the recipe card!

You can also find me on social media. If you make this recipe, be sure to tag @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired so I’m sure to see it!

Enjoy!

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Smoky Lentil Quinoa Soup

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Lentil Quinoa Soup - a hearty, high-protein soup that's easy and delicious! Using pantry and fridge staples, this recipe comes together easily. Perfect for any night of the week!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or 1/4 cup broth or water for oil-free)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed well with cold water
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well with cold water (I used tricolor, but white quinoa will work, too)
• 1 can (15 ounces) fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 carton (32 ounces) low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups water (or more broth)
• 1 tablespoon liquid aminos or gluten free Tamari
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley to garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the oil (or broth or water for oil-free) in a soup pot on the stove over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, and carrots and sauté 5 to 6 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add the tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano, and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.
4. Add the lentils, quinoa, diced tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the lentils are tender.
5. Add the liquid aminos, salt, and pepper, and stir well to combine.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
7. Garnish with fresh lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot.

Notes

Recipe makes about 8 cups in total.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1.5 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 76mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 8gSugar: 8gProtein: 11g