Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Lentil Soup


Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Lentil Soup


It’s official. Soup season is in full swing, and today’s post is one of my all time favorites. This Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Lentil Soup is filling, full of fiber and probably the best vegetable soup I have ever had. Ever. It’s smoky, creamy and bursting with flavor that only tastes like its been cooking all day long.

Rich in both texture and flavor, this soup can be made as light or hearty as you would like with the addition of cooked quinoa and tender green lentils. I typically like to have a batch of both prepared to add to recipes throughout the week, but if you don’t, and you’re new to cooking either, follow the directions posted below for quinoa, and click here for a great tutorial on cooking lentils. If cooking quinoa and lentils feels like too much effort (no judgment here, we all have those days), simply don’t add them. This soup is every bit as delicious without.


Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Lentil Soup



 

::Quinoa::

Ingredients:

½ cup dry quinoa; rinsed thoroughly in a mesh strainer

1 cup water

 Instructions:

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, and rinse thoroughly with cool water.

In a small saucepan, add liquid and bring to a boil. Add in rinsed quinoa, return to a boil, then lower heat and cook covered for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Let stand for 5 minutes, covered.

After 5 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the quinoa gently with a fork.

Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Lentil Soup
 
Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: American
Author: The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
A smoky, creamy and bursting with flavor soup that only tastes like its been cooking all day long.
Ingredients
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth + 1 cup reserved to thin out if necessary
  • 1.2 Tbsp. organic grapeseed oil
  • 1 BPA free can organic tomato paste
  • 1 BPA free can organic pizza sauce (I used Eden Organic)
  • ¾ cup diced roasted red peppers (I used Trader Joe’s)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh spinach
  • ½ large yellow onion; finely diced
  • 1 cup frozen green peas; thawed
  • 1 cup French cut green beans
  • 1.5 cups cooked green lentils
  • 1.5 cups cooked quinoa
  • 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. liquid smoke
  • 1 Tbsp. liquid aminos
  • 1 Tbsp. hot sauce (I used Cholula)
  • 1 Tbsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp. granulated garlic
  • Pink Himalayan salt to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, simmer on medium/high heat grapeseed oil, prepared onion, roasted red peppers, garlic and spinach. Cook until onion is translucent.
  2. Add in 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth, thawed green peas and green beans and bring to a slight boil.
  3. Add in tomato paste and whisk until thoroughly combined, then add in pizza sauce, hot sauce, liquid aminos, liquid smoke, granulated garlic, dried basil and thyme.
  4. Let mixture simmer on low for about 10 minutes, then remove pot from heat.
  5. If using, add in 1.5 cups each of cooked green lentils and cooked quinoa, then season to taste with pink Himalayan salt.
  6. Add in additional cup of broth if soup is too thick.
  7. Serve and enjoy!
 
Notes
Cooking time does not include cooking time for lentils and quinoa. Adjust seasonings to fit taste.

 

 

3 comments on Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Lentil Soup

  1. Thalia @ butter and brioche
    November 2, 2014 at 2:17 am (9 years ago)

    I am all about soups right now, they are just perfect for this weather. I definitely will be making your red pepper, quinoa and lentil soup – it looks incredibly delicious and full of hearty flavours.

    Reply
  2. B.Saunderson
    January 25, 2015 at 2:46 pm (9 years ago)

    What size can of organic tomato paste did you use? Also, what size can of organic pizza sauce did you use?

    Reply
    • Danielle
      January 26, 2015 at 10:47 am (9 years ago)

      I used a 15 oz. can of pizza sauce and a 6 oz. can of tomato paste.

      Reply

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