This smoky harvest quinoa soup is packed with wholesome veggies like sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and spinach, all simmered with lentils and quinoa in a savory broth. It’s easy to make and perfect on its own for a light lunch or starter, or paired with crusty bread or a salad for a hearty, satisfying vegan meal.
There’s a lot you can do with quinoa, and I love getting creative with it — developing recipes like quinoa meatballs, quinoa burgers, quinoa tacos, and even quinoa muffins. But sometimes simplicity is the way to go, and that’s exactly the case with this quinoa soup. Instead of transforming quinoa into something else, this recipe puts it center stage, simmering it in a smoky broth with hearty vegetables.
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The soup itself is packed with flavor, featuring lentils and a vibrant medley of veggies alongside the quinoa. It’s satisfying without being heavy, and the combination of brothy goodness and tender quinoa makes it perfect for sopping up with a big piece of crusty bread.
Best of all, this soup is easy to make and comes together in one pot. The recipe also makes a nice, big batch, so you can enjoy leftovers for days.
Tip: If you give this recipe a try and love quinoa in soup, you’ll probably enjoy my quinoa chili as well!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Olive oil. You can substitute another neutral high-heat oil if you'd like.
- Onion.
- Carrots.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Spices. We're using a smoky blend of ground cumin and smoked paprika.
- Vegetable broth.
- Brown lentils. These are the most common lentils, often just labeled as "lentils." Other types of lentils, like red or green lentils, will work, but the texture will be different and the cooking time will need to be adjusted.
- Quinoa. Dried quinoa is sold in different colors, such as white, red, and black. Feel free to use any — they all taste the same.
- Sweet potato.
- Canned diced tomatoes.
- Baby spinach. Feel free to swap this out with another tender green like arugula or baby kale.
- Salt and pepper.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Sweat the vegetables. Heat your oil in a large pot, then add diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery. Cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes, giving them an occasional stir, until they start to soften.
Step 2: Add garlic and spices. Stir minced garlic and spices into the mix, then continue to cook everything for about a minute. Stir the whole time to avoid burning.
Step 3: Simmer the lentils. Add the broth and lentils, then crank up the heat and bring the broth to a boil. Lower the heat and let the lentils simmer for about 15 minutes. They'll be just starting to soften by this point.
Step 4: Simmer the sweet potato and quinoa. Add your dried quinoa and a diced sweet potato to the pot. Continue to simmer the soup until everything is tender — lentils, quinoa, and sweet potato.
Step 5: Add tomatoes. Stir in the can of diced tomatoes, and let your soup continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 6: Add spinach. Stir your spinach into the soup and let it continue simmering just until the spinach wilts, a minute or two.
Step 7: Finish the soup. Take the pot off the heat, then season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 8: Serve. Your quinoa soup is ready to enjoy! Ladle it into bowls and dig in!
Variations
- Bean swaps. Reduce the broth by a cup and replace the lentils with a can of whatever you have on hand — chickpeas, cannellini beans, and kidney beans are all great options.
- Veggie swaps. Replace the sweet potato with a root veggie like a regular potato or winter squash. The spinach can be replaced with other tender greens like arugula and baby kale.
- Add protein. This soup is great with some sautéed sliced vegan sausage or pan-fried tofu.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is! The recipe, as written, includes no gluten-containing ingredients.
It depends on the brand. Most brands are pre-rinsed, so you don't need to rinse it again. Check the package — it will usually indicate if the quinoa is pre-rinsed or instruct you to rinse it yourself.
Leftover quinoa soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days. The quinoa and lentils will continue to soak up broth during storage, so add some more broth or water when you reheat it, if needed.
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📖 Recipe
Smoky Harvest Quinoa Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 medium celery stalks, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup dried brown lentils
- ⅔ cup dry quinoa (Note 1)
- 1 medium sweet potato (about 12 ounces), diced (½-inch)
- 1 (14 ounce/397 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika. Cook everything for about 1 minute longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth and lentils. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the quinoa and sweet potato, then let the soup continue to simmer for about 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa, lentils, and sweet potato are tender. You can add some water to the pot if it reduces too much at any point.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spinach and simmer the soup just until the spinach is completely wilted, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Remove the pot from heat. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
- Check the package to see if your quinoa is pre-rinsed. If it is not, be sure to rinse it well under cold running water.
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