This homemade, Hearty Lentil & Quinoa Soup is vegan, gluten free and nutrient dense! It's packed with plant based protein, loaded with veggies and an easy one pot meal for a cozy lunch or dinner!
A hearty broth based soup is one of the coziest ways to warm up! This wholesome soup is a great way to nourish your body and your soul! Grab some cornbread or an crusty Italian loaf and dig in!
This vegan vegetable soup is:
- hearty, healthy & filling
- loaded with wholesome grains & legumes
- packed with plant based protein
- great for meal prep
- flavorful
- vegan
- gluten free
- oil free (option)
Ingredient Breakdown
This vegan Lentil & Quinoa Soup uses common staple ingredients along with a couple of unique twists!
It's very easily customizable to your own personal needs and likes, so feel free to make swaps, additions or omissions as you see fit.
Let's review the ingredients:
- loads of vegetables - this soup calls for sweet onion, carrots, celery, red peppers, jalapeno, diced tomatoes, sweet potato and kale!
- quinoa - not actually a grain! Quinoa is actually a seed, but it is cooked and used in a similar way to grains. It is a powerhouse of nutrition, rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- green lentils - earthy in flavor and high in protein. Lentils add to the heartiness of this dish and help leave you full and satisfied!
- nori - these are the sheets of seaweed often used to make sushi! A sheet of nori adds a unique and mild taste of the sea to this soup! It can be omitted if unavailable to you, but I highly recommend giving it a try.
- spices & herbs - a blend of garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, celery seed, salt & pepper is used to flavor this soup
- vegetable broth - a blend of water and broth is used in this recipe to help control the level of saltiness. I use bouillon or broth concentrate for easy control, you can always add more salt to taste at the end if needed!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Lentil & Quinoa Soup
See the recipe card for full instructions. Here's a quick overview of how to make this vegetable soup!
Prepare your vegetables - Take some time to chop up all your vegetables before starting to cook. A little bit of time spent chopping will make the cooking process much easier and quicker.
Start cooking the Veggies - Start by warming oil in a large pot and sautéing your onions. (Omit the oil and cook with a splash of water for oil free!) Add the remaining vegetables and cook for another few minutes to start to soften.
Rinse the quinoa and lentils - Use a mesh strainer or sieve to give these a quick rinse to remove any dust or debris before adding them to the pot.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer - Add everything remaining, but the kale to the soup and give it a good mix before bringing it to a boil and simmering until the beans and sweet potato are cooked through.
Add kale & adjust salt - Once the soup is finished cooking, remove from heat and stir in the finely chopped kale. Taste and adjust the salt and seasonings to your liking before digging in!
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy this soup on it's own of course, but I'm a sucker for some toppings! My favorite thing to add is loads of fresh cilantro and a big dollop of hummus!
This soup also pairs excellently with cornbread or a crusty Italian bread to soak up the juices or along side a refreshing salad!
These are my favorite things to serve with Lentil & Quinoa Soup:
Storage
Lentil & Quinoa soup is great to make ahead and gets even tastier over time!
Store covered leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave for short intervals or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram @samcookskindness !
Recipe
Hearty Lentil & Quinoa Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil omit and water sauté for oil free
- 1 small sweet onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots cut into half moons
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno deseeded and diced
- 1 large sweet potato chopped into bite sized cubes
- ½ cup quinoa
- ½ cup green lentils
- 1 sheet nori shredded or cut into tiny pieces
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5oz, 411g) fire roasted if available
- 3 cups water
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups kale finely chopped
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Start by chopping up all your vegetables. (Having all your vegetables prepped before you start cooking will save you time and make this soup even easier to make.)
- In a large pot, heat oil (if using) over medium heat and add diced onions, a sprinkle of salt and cook for 4-6 minutes until translucent.
- Add garlic, carrot, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno and sweet potato to the pot and stir. Cook another 3-5 minutes.
- Rinse the lentils and quinoa, then add them to the pot, along with all the remaining ingredients (except kale). Mix well.
- Bring soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally until lentils are tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in the finely chopped kale. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste and enjoy!
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