Vegetable Lentil Quinoa Soup
This hearty, healthy, and flavorful soup is perfect for a warm meal, full of protein from lentils and quinoa and nutrients from the vegetables. Enjoy your Vegetable Lentil Quinoa Soup!
Ingredients:
Olive oil: 2 tablespoons (30 ml)
Yellow onion: 1 medium, diced (about 150 g)
Carrots: 2 medium, diced (about 200 g)
Celery stalks: 2, diced (about 150 g)
Garlic: 3 cloves, minced (about 9 g)
Diced tomatoes: 1 can (14.5 oz, 410 g)
Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons (30 g)
Vegetable broth: 6 cups (1.4 L)
Lentils: 1 cup (200 g), rinsed
Quinoa: ½ cup (85 g), rinsed
Bay leaves: 2
Ground cumin: 1 teaspoon (2 g)
Ground turmeric: 1 teaspoon (2 g)
Ground coriander: 1 teaspoon (2 g)
Paprika: 1 teaspoon (2 g)
Salt: 1 teaspoon (5 g), or to taste
Black pepper: ½ teaspoon (1 g), or to taste
Spinach: 4 cups (120 g), fresh or frozen
Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon (15 ml)
Fresh parsley: ¼ cup (10 g), chopped (optional for garnish)
Instructions:
Heat the oil:
In a large pot, heat olive oil (30 ml) over medium heat.
Saute vegetables:
Add the diced onion (150 g), carrots (200 g), and celery (150 g). Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent.
Add garlic and spices:
Stir in the minced garlic (9 g), ground cumin (2 g), ground turmeric (2 g), ground coriander (2 g), and paprika (2 g). Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add tomatoes and broth:
Stir in the diced tomatoes (410 g), tomato paste (30 g), and vegetable broth (1.4 L). Bring the mixture to a boil.
Add lentils and quinoa:
Add the lentils (200 g) and quinoa (85 g) to the pot. Stir well, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Simmer the soup:
Let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils and quinoa are tender and fully cooked. Stir occasionally.
Add greens and season:
Once the lentils and quinoa are cooked, add the spinach (120 g) and lemon juice (15 ml). Stir until the spinach wilts and is incorporated into the soup. Adjust salt (5 g) and pepper (1 g) to taste.
Serve:
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley (optional, 10 g).