Name: Red Lentil & Quinoa Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 large onion, diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons organic unsalted butter (you can also use olive oil); 2 cups split red lentils, rinsed well; 1 large carrot, chopped; l litre organic or natural vegetable stock; 3 cups water; 1 tablespoon turmeric; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 2-3 teaspoons sea salt; 1/2 cup organic quinoa, cooked as per packet directions; 2 - 3 lemons, juiced

Red Lentil & Quinoa Soup is the perfect soup for winter. It is made with dried red lentils, carrots, lemon, quinoa and some amazing spices. Best of all it is so easy to make and you can also make it if you have a Thermomix.

photo of two bowls of red lentil & quinoa soup

RECIPE FEATURES

Gluten free - This recipe is of course gluten free.

Dairy free & vegan option – you can make this red lentil soup dairy free or vegan by substituting the butter with olive oil.

Freezer friendly – you can freeze this soup for 2-3 months.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Photo of the ingredients you need to make the red lentil and quinoa soup

Butter – I use either grass fed or organic butter in this recipe. If you wanted this recipe to be dairy free or vegan, then substitute the butter with olive oil.

Red Lentils – make sure you rinse the lentils really well as they may contain dirt, stones or debris.

Quinoa – you can also make this soup with rice. The version that I grew up with contained rice, but I changed it to quinoa. Make sure you rinse the quinoa or rice.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan on low heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 10 minutes or until the onion has softened.

Step 2. Add the remaining ingredients (except the lemon and quinoa) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the red lentils are falling apart.

photo of stirring the soup after adding the lentils, carrots, stock, spices and water.

Step 3. Blend the soup with a hand stick blender.

a photo of the soup being blended with a hand stick blender

Step 4. Add the quinoa to the soup and stir through. Add the lemon (I recommend adding the lemon slowly and tasting as you go as some people prefer it to have less lemon than others).

a photo of the quinoa being stirred into the red lentil and quinoa soup.

Photo of the completed soup with a napkin around it

TIPS AND FAQS

Want to make this red lentil soup dairy free or vegan? – substitute the butter with olive oil

Quinoa alternative – you can add rice instead of quinoa.

Lemon – I like to add lots of lemon when I eat this soup, but some people prefer it to contain less lemon. I highly recommend that you start with the juice from one lemon and add more if you need to. Or you could add the lemon to each individual bowl.

Thermomix – this soup is really easy to make in your Thermomix.

Don't have a hand stick blender? - You could use a potato masher to blend up the soup.

How to cook quinoa

First, you need to rinse the quinoa and then add the (½ cup) quinoa to a small sauce pan with ¾ cup water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.

a photo of a small saucepan of cooked quinoa

Can I freeze this soup?

Yes you can! This soup will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. I like to freeze into the desired portion sizes and then when needed, take out of the freezer and thaw out before heating to eat.

photo of a spoonful of the red lentil and quinoa soup

Yield: Serves 4 - 6