Slow-Simmered Lentil and Quinoa Soup with Thyme and Lemon

American

Medium · Hot

Slow-Simmered Lentil and Quinoa Soup with Thyme and Lemon

A nourishing one-pot soup where earthy lentils and fluffy quinoa swim together in a golden broth fragrant with thyme and brightened with a squeeze of lemon at the end. The kind of soup your grandmother would ladle out on a cold afternoon, asking if you have enough seconds.

Recipe by

Esther Vogel

The Ladle Keeper

Prep

15 min

Cook

50 min

Rest

5 min

Total

1h 10m

Method

Sweat the Aromatics

Warm the olive-oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onion turns soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add the diced carrot and celery. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and release their sweetness.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Do not let it brown.

Build the Soup

Pour in the chicken-broth and add the thyme sprigs. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.

Add the rinsed lentils, remaining salt, and black-pepper. Stir well. Partially cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and let the soup simmer very gently for 25 minutes. This unhurried simmer draws the lentils soft and starchy, thickening the broth naturally.

Finish with Quinoa and Lemon

Add the quinoa to the pot. Stir to combine and continue simmering, partially covered, for another 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed much of the broth. The soup should be brothy, not thick.

Remove the thyme sprigs. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.

Remove the pot from the heat. Squeeze the juice of the entire lemon into the soup and stir gently. The bright citrus lifts the earthy lentils and makes everything taste alive.

Serve and Enjoy

Ladle the soup into deep bowls, making sure each portion gets some lentils, quinoa, and plenty of broth. Serve with crusty bread or torn crusty bread alongside for dipping. This soup tastes even better the next day once the flavors have married.

Nutri-Score

Excellent balance

A–E · lower is better · score -7

Calories

692

per serving

Source of protein · 33gSource of fibre · 13gLow sugar · 8gLow saturated fat · 2g

Protein

33g

Carbs

111g

Fat

15g

Sat. fat

Fiber

13g

Sugar

Sodium

1214mg

Gluten FreeDairy FreeVeganVegetarianMediterraneanWhole30Low GlycemicLow FatHeart HealthyDiabetes FriendlyAnti InflammatoryGut HealthMetabolic SupportPlant ForwardImmune SupportHigh ProteinHigh FiberBalanced MealsPlant Protein

Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.

Environmental impact

Very low impact

A–E · lower is better · includes estimates

kg CO₂e

0.3

per serving

ACarbonAEU all-round· both agree

Water

1.9m³

Land

25Pt

Runoff

0.05g P

lentils drives 40% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.

Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.

Flavor Profile

Umami

Sweet

Salty

Sour

Bitter

Spicy

Textures

TenderSilkySoft

Aromas

HerbalEarthySavoryBright

Kitchen Equipment

Primary Tool

Dutch Oven

Dutch Oven Ladle Wooden Spoon Chef Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cups Measuring Spoons

Counter FootprintMedium

Techniques

Sweating Simmering

Safety & Storage

Allergen Warning

This recipe contains celery. Individuals with celery allergy must avoid this dish entirely. Celery is listed in ingredient group 'Aromatics Base' as 3 stalks of celery.

Cross Contamination

Store-bought chicken broth may be processed in facilities that also handle wheat, soy, or dairy. Use certified gluten-free or allergen-free broth if serving to individuals with multiple allergies.

Storage

Cool soup to room temperature within 2 hours of cooking, then refrigerate in airtight containers. Soup components (lentils and quinoa) will continue absorbing broth during storage, potentially making it thicker over time.

Shelf Life

Refrigerated soup maintains quality for 3-4 days. Freeze for extended storage up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.

Cooking Temperature

Ensure proper simmering at low heat (not a rolling boil) throughout the 40-minute cooking period. Soup should reach and maintain 185-200°F during simmering phase to ensure food safety.

High Risk Population

Elderly individuals, young children, pregnant persons, and immunocompromised individuals should ensure chicken broth is homemade or from trusted sources with proper pasteurization to minimize risk of bacterial contamination.

Handling

Add lemon juice at the end (after removing from heat) rather than during cooking to preserve vitamin C content and flavor. Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw chicken-contacted utensils if broth was store-bought.

Pro Tips

Technique

Let your aromatics sweat slowly over medium heat — never rush them. That 8 minutes of patience is where the sweetness lives, and it will thicken your broth without a single thickener.

Substitution

If you don't have fresh thyme, use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, but tuck it in during the last 10 minutes so it doesn't lose its brightness to the long simmer.

Batch Cooking

This soup is a gift that keeps on giving. Make a double batch and freeze portions in mason jars — the flavors deepen beautifully overnight and will be even better three days later.

From the chef

In the Jura, we didn't have much, but we always had soup on the back of the stove. This is the kind of bowl I taught those young cooks in Lyon to love — lentils gone soft and starchy, quinoa that catches the broth like a blessing, and thyme that perfumes the whole kitchen for hours. A squeeze of lemon at the end is not optional, child. It's the thing that makes your grandmother's soup taste like it remembered you were coming.

Esther VogelThe Ladle Keeper

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TagsOne PotLentilQuinoaThymeLemonComfort FoodHeartyMediterranean InfluencedWeeknight DinnerSimmered

AllergensCeleryGluten

Source: generated · June 10, 2026