This hearty, nourishing Moroccan Red Lentil Quinoa Soup is vegan, easy to make and made with simple everyday ingredients. Flavorful and aromatic, the warming spices are especially cozy. This can be made in under 30 minutes in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop and keeps well for midweek meals. Video!
Check out our 20 Amazing Quinoa Recipes and our25+ Delicious Lentil Recipes!
Enter with love the temple that is your own heart.~ Ramana Maharshi
This simple nurturing soup is so easy to put together and made with very simple ingredients. That being said, the flavors don’t disappoint. Infused with fragrant Moroccan Spices, this Red Lentil Quinoa Soup is not only vegan and healthy, it is cozy, warming and comforting.
Using quick-cooking split red lentils and quick-cooking quinoa, this soup only takes 5 minutes of pressure cooking in an Instant Pot or 10-12 minutes on the stovetop. SO FAST!!! And that is why you see them paired here together. They take roughly the same amount of time to cook!
Make it ahead for the busy week and feel comfort in knowing you have something healthy in your fridge, at all times. It’s really a nice feeling. This week I had it for lunch, then once for dinner, and then as a midnight snack (instead of reaching for chips). It was a good diversion, and suprisingly satisfying.
Moroccan Lentil Quinoa Soup | Video
How to make Lentil Quinoa Soup
It starts off with ingredients you probably have. Split red lentils and quinoa and fresh veggies.
Today I’m using colorful carrots I found at the farmers market. Other root veggies would work well here too- sweet potatoes, yams, parsnips, celery root.
I added a chili for a little kick of heat, but feel free to leave it out.
Here I’m using the Instant pot for quick and easy preparation, but this also works well in a pot on the stove.
It’s the fragrant spices that turn this Red Lentil Soup into something magic. This reminds me so much of the frugal meals my parents would make growing up. Just very simple humble ingredients, but turned into something special with the spices. Very economical.
Once the ingredients are in the Instant Pot, pressure cook for just 5 minutes! How easy is that?
Then just serve it up with something fresh on top. I love crunchy radishes and fresh herbs like cilantro, mint, parsley or even dill. Scallions are nice too. A drizzle of olive oil is delicious and if you want extra richness, a swirl of yogurt is nice too.
For those of you who like a bit of sweetness, feel free to toss a few raisins into the pot- sooooooo good!
I hope you give this Moroccan Red Lentil and Quinoa Soup a go this week!
More Favorite Lentil Soup Recipes!
- Red Lentil Soup
- Mushroom Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Mulligatawny (Curried Indian Soup)
- Healing Lentil Beet Soup
- Lentil Chili
- 20 Instant Pot Recipes (from around the Globe!)
- 25 most popular Vegan/Vegetarian Soup Recipes!
- Moroccan Chicken Lentil Soup with Saffron and Preserved Lemon
- Healthy Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
- Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup (Harira)
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Moroccan Red Lentil Quinoa Soup
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: soups, vegan, gluten free
- Method: Instant Pot, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Description
This Moroccan Red Lentil Quinoa Soup is made with simple ingredients, easy to make and full of delicious flavor! Make this in an Instant Pot or stove top.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- one onion, diced
- 5–6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 3 carrots, diced (2 cups) ( or sub other root veggies- yam or sweet potato, parsnips, celery root, sunchokes)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced (optional, for a subtle heat)
- one 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (or sub 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes with juices)
- 4 cups veggie broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or add a few bay leaves)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup ( or honey)
- 3/4 cup red lentils (split lentils)
- 1/4 cup quinoa
- optional addtions: 1/4 cup raisins
Garnish: fresh cilantro,parsley, scallions or mint, a squeeze of lemon or lime, a drizzle of olive oil (or swirl of yogurt) or even sliced avocado.
Instructions
See notes for the stovetop.
- Set Instant Pot ( Pressure cooker) to saute function and heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute 3-4 minutes, stirring until fragrant. Add the carrots, bell pepper and optional poblano and stir 2 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes (and juices) and broth. Stir in the salt, cumin, chili powder, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, thyme, and maple syrup. Stir in the split red lentils and the quinoa. You will be tempted to add more but don’t. 🙂 Give a good stir. At this point, you could also toss in 1/4 cup raisins (or add after).
- Set instant pot to high pressure for 5 minutes. Manually release (cover the spout with a kitchen towel).
- Taste, adjust salt if needed. For a bit of acid, a squeeze of lemon or lime is nice. The stew will thicken as it sits.
- Serve this up with fresh radishes and herbs. Add a drizzle of olive oil (or for extra richness and a swirl of yogurt).
Notes
Stovetop directions:
- Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute 3-4 minutes, stirring until fragrant. Lower heat to medium, add the carrots, bell pepper and optional poblano and stir 3-4 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes (and juices), broth. Stir in the salt, cumin, chili powder, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, thyme, and maple syrup. Stir in the split red lentils and the quinoa. You will be tempted to add more but don’t. 🙂 Give a good stir. At this point, you could also toss in 1/4 cup raisins (or add after).
- Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat so it’s gently simmering. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Taste, adjust salt if needed. For a bit of acid, a squeeze of lemon or lime is nice. The stew will thicken as it sits.
- Serve this up with fresh radishes and herbs. Add a drizzle of olive oil (or for extra richness and a swirl of yogurt).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.6 cups
- Calories: 265
- Sugar: 8.8 g
- Sodium: 759.7 mg
- Fat: 7.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.1 g
- Fiber: 8.5 g
- Protein: 10.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I’ve made 11 of the 25 instant pot recipes, and my husband said this was his favorite one yet! I didn’t have split red lentils, so I just used the regular brownish looking ones and kicked up cook time in the pot to 10 minutes. Added the optional raisins and juice of a whole lime at the end. Topped with cilantro, scallions, avocado and radishes. Yummy!
Thanks Kelley! Appreciate this!
This looks delicious. Would it work to use other varieties of lentils?
I think so- but the timing will longer in the Instant Pot and not sure how the quinoa will hold up to longer timing. You can always try it and see.
Delicious! I added another cup of broth at the end to eat more as a soup. Leftovers for lunch tomorrow are going to be heavenly!
This soup was just lovely. I really enjoyed the flavor that the maple syrup brought to the dish and adding some fresh sliced radishes and cilantro on top. It is just so versatile and customizeable!! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you.
Great to hear- and thanks so much!
This was so delicious! Thank you so much.
Oh YAY! Glad to hear it- thanks Anita!!!
PS – I had about a 1/2-3/4 of a teaspoon of fresh ginger in the fridge so I tossed that in with the garlic. It worked very well. It’s there but only as an accent. Didn’t add any additional salt either. Oh, but I only had Ancho Chili and Peruvian Lime Spice from Savory Spice in PDX which I subbed 1/2 and 1/2 for the chili powder.
Perfect! Love it Sean. Thanks so much!
Holy quinoa Batman! This is amazing. I made this in my dutch oven on the stove. This is the second recipe I’ve made from Sylvia and I think we are brother and sister from another taste bud mother. It’s the cumin. I made the chicken carnitas last week and I was just as happy. This is a veggie/fiber/plant based protein powerhouse of a meal and it tastes delicious. I made it for breakfast today because I had prepped last night but fell asleep with the kids. The cinnamon makes it very breakfast worthy. The only thing left to do is to figure out which wine to pair with it for dinner.
Thanks Sylvia!
Made this last night…the first of your recipes I’ve tried:) phenomenal recipe, thank you!! I’m very much looking forward to so many more of your creations…I am so happy to have stumbled upon you online:)
thanks Oleg- I’m happy you are here!
LOVED this recipe! SO good!!! Will be making again for sure!
K and I used a few minor substitutions because of what we had on hand — crushed tomatoes for diced, (less) agave syrup for maple, and currants for raisins. The stew turned out lovely but I wanted to add a little ras el hanout and another chile pepper. I love recipes that use quinoa in sneaky ways. Complex flavor, satisfying and easy to make.
Thanks so much Crystal and love how you adapted!
How much ras el hanout did you add? I’m still waiting for mine to arrive from Amazon so I wasn’t able to add it tonight. But it sounds like a great spice for this type of dish.
Made this for lunch today, and it’s sooooo good. I added cilantro, green onion, and fresh squeezed lemon juice before serving. Wish I had radishes, I’ll add them next time!
I was a very picky child growing up, so as an adult, I’m attempting to venture into other cuisines, and I’ve never had anything Moroccan, had no idea what to expect or what Moroccan food usually tastes like. But this is seriously so good, I’m so glad I went out on a limb to try something extremely different than what I’m used to. Thank you for this recipe, now I’m combing your site for my next food adventure!
Oh perfect Kalli! Glad you liked it. Keep exploring, so much fun!
Another perfect soup recipe from Sylvia. The lemon, yogurt, and mint garnishes made it exceptional. My husband ate three bowls of it.
Wow. This really turned out phenomenal! I used 2 carrots and also a large parsnip. Instead of a poblano I used a small Indian red chili pepper. I also used fresh diced tomatoes instead of canned and took your advice on a squeeze of lemon at the end. I also served it with some fresh cilantro and radishes. I’m going to make another batch next week because I have a feeling my family will devour this one :). Thanks again for sharing this.
Appreciate this Glenn! Glad you enjoyed.
Very tasty! I loved the spice blend, especially the cinnamon. I made the recipe exactly as written and it turned out perfectly. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you liked~!
Super tasty and easy to make. Would recommend with sweet potatoes. Thanks,
So happy you liked this – and love the sweet potato addition!
quick, healthy. I didn’t change a thing. will definitely make it again.
This soup is so delicious! Second time I’m making. I didn’t see in the recipe how much water to use. I used a 1/2 cup,,,,
This recipe is stunning. Thanks for sharing.
Awwww thanks!
I made this awesome soup in the instant pot. I added in parsnips with the carrots but didn’t have a poblano on hand. I did have roasted veggies on hand though and added those in at the end—it was so good!
I love the flavor profile and how easy it comes together. We’ll be enjoying it again!
Thanks so much, glad you liked this one Katie. Love how you added roasted veggies- always a healthy addition!
Yummmm, can’t wait to try this! It looks great.
So delicious and easy to make!! Thank you so much for another great recipe. I’m a big fan of your soup recipes.
thanks so much Cindy!
This came out very well. I had all ingredients at hime except the peppers. I used the lime and scallion garnish. It’s an interesting melange of smells and flavors- hearty, filling, and my spouse said he would gladly eat it again!
Always the true test! thanks!
Do you recommend the golden raisins or the regular ones?
Either will work here!
This looks delicious, I’m going to give it a try this week. Does this soup freeze well?
Yes, it does!
Absolutely yummy. Sunshine in a bowl.
It mentions adding broth and water but mention or measurement of water in the ingredient list…..
Thanks I fixed the recipe- appreciate you pointing it out!
How much water?
No water just broth!