These Moroccan Lentils + Quinoa are made in just one pot and are a flavorful, plant-based meal your whole family will love!
Are you ready to be wrapped in a warm food hug?
Because that's exactly what this bowl is. It's cozy, comforting, hearty, satisfying and makes you feel safe. One of those meals that makes you want to snuggle up on the couch under a huge blanket with a glass of red wine and a puppy beside you.
Yep, that's pretty much my perfect night.
As the title suggests, this recipe for MoroccanĀ lentils and quinoa is made in just one pot. I love using my dutch oven for this type of meal, but really any large soup pot will work.
It starts with a quick sauteĀ of some veggies, then we layer in some diced tomatoes, two types of lentils, quinoa and LOTS of spices to amp up the flavor. Even though I've never been to Morocco (it's on my list!), I imagine their food is incredibly flavorful and vibrant, just like this recipe.
So once you've got everything in the pot, it's time to just let it simmer. Simmer simmer simmer. This helps to develop the flavor and makes it all nice and thick. (<– I'm a big fan of thick soups and stews)
Plus, you guys have been asking for more lentil recipes, so…here you go! ????
If you want to learn more about why I seriously heart lentils, check out my original One Pot Lentils + Quinoa recipe.Ā I share why lentils are a versatile ingredient and some of my favorite ways to enjoy them!
But now…let's eat!
Go on and scoop yourself a generous helping of this flavor-packed meal and make sure to save those leftovers for your lunches!
If you end up trying this awesome quinoa chili recipe, I'd absolutely LOVE to see a picā¤ļøĀ you can share something with me on Instagram by taggingĀ @simplyquinoaĀ or usingĀ #simplyquinoa!
More Easy One-Pot Dinners:
- Spring Pesto Pasta with Peas & Asparagus
- Vegetable Chickpea Curry
- Lentils + Quinoa with Spinach
- Mediterranean Quinoa with Spinach + Chickpeas
- Root Vegetable + Lentil Quinoa Stew
- Italian Quinoa with Tomatoes & Basil
One Pot Moroccan Lentils & Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 small onion chopped (any variety)
- 1 cup chopped carrots about 3 medium
- 1 cup chopped celery about 4 stalks
- 1 red bell pepper seeded + dieced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt + pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 18.5 oz jar of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup brown lentils
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1/2 cup red quinoa or variety of choice
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup coconut milk
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or cast iron pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, pepppers and garlic, and cook until everything has started to soften, about 3 ā 4 minutes.
- Season with ginger and spices and stir around until the whole mixture becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the tomatoes, lentils, quinoa, and broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce to simmer for 25 - 30 minutes.
- Remove pot from the heat, uncover and add spinach and coconut milk, stirring gently to combine. Taste (carefully!) and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs and sliced hot peppers.
Nutrition
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So delicious. I probably doubled all of the spices and used coconut cream but wow. Served with garlic naan.
I made this today and it was absolutely delicious. According to what I had available, I changed the recipe a bit: for veggies I used spring onions, capsicum, cauliflower and spinach (no carrots or celery). I also replaced the black beans with a can of drained chickpeas. It was so yummy and easy, I will definitely make this more often. Thanks š
It was good and flavorful. I thought it was a little flat on Flavor with just vegetable stock so next time I’m going to throw some chicken stock in there. I pre-soaked the lentils so then I was able to cut the cook time down to just 15 minutes. Quinoa does it take that long to cook so that way they both come out about the same time and the quinoa wasn’t overcooked and the lentils were just perfect. I used a North African spice blend that I had purchased comes with allspice cinnamon saffron cardamom cumin and smoked paprika
Great recipe! One question; how much oil?
How long can this last in the fridge? Thanks
3-5 days in the fridge but you can freeze the leftovers if you want to save it longer
This dish has a lot of flavor! I subbed curry powder for turmeric because that’s what was I had on hand.
Love this recipe! It’s one of our favorites and we come back to it over and over again. Both the Vegans and omnivores in our family love it! The flavors are wonderful and it’s so incredibly healthy! Thank you for this one!!!!
YAY! I’m so so happy!
I recently saw some of your recipes on FaceBook and looked at your website. Found this Moroccan lentils and quinoa dish Made it and family loved it It was rich and hearty and so flavorful not to mention so many good benefits
I’m so glad! And thrilled you all enjoyed it š
Hello! This recipe looks delicious I am excited to try! Do you use full fat coconut milk? Can the recipe be made with reduced fat?
I usually use full fat, but feel free to use lite!
Useful fat coconut milk. It’s loaded with MCTS. It’s quick energy like sugar it’ll be in your system 20 minutes and your body Burns it up immediately it doesn’t store it as fat. MCTS don’t need enzymes from the pancreas so the liver can break it down. You can use like coconut milk but full flavor is not going to hurt you and it’ll definitely help the flavor of the dish
Does this freeze well?
Yep! It will still be delicious š
Hi from Australia, I have been experimenting for a while building up a collection of vegetarian recipes to make regularly, this is my favorite thing cook at the moment ! Have tried it with canned and dried lentils and both times turned out to be delicious, I adjusted the stock slightly for canned.
If you have the option is better with dried for sure, and tastes better the next day
Thanks so much for sharing, Peter! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe š
I made this the other day and it was so delicious! I love recipes like this with lentils and quinoa that can be thrown together in one pot. Definitely something I’ll come back to š
Oh hooray! I’m SOO happy!
Great recipe – lentils turned out perfect. I found the lentils really thickened up after letting them rest for 10 minutes.
Hooray!!!
Oh, this looks so yummy! I probably would have two or even three servings of this dish for brunch since I’m currently trying to gain a little bit of muscle. Looks so so delicious! Look at the vibrant colors of the veggies and spices included in this dish!
Made this for dinner last night. What a home run out of the park recipe!!! It was fun to make, and the aroma in the kitchen was fabulous!
The only chopped tomatoes I had on hand were Rotel with green chilis. So I took a chance… And I think it really added a nice extra kick in the pants. For added texture, I sprinkled blanched almond slivers on top. Warmed up some left overs for lunch an hour ago, and as I suspected, it’s even better the next day! Another winner, Alyssa! Thanks for sharing!
(And to the other poster who wondered if leaving the tomatoes out would ruin this recipe, I don’t think so at all. They really add a nice flavor, sure, but this recipe is bursting with flavor and texture anyway.)
Woohoo!! So glad you enjoyed it, Tracy š Love that changes you made – holy yum!
Do you think it would be any good without the tomatoes? My husband is allergic to them, but this looks soooo good!
Try out roasted red peppers
Damn, this moroccan lentils recipe looks so delicious!! I can’t wait to try it myself. Thank you for sharing!
Can’t wait to hear how it turns out! xox
Alyssa, this sounds delicious! Do you mean a 14.5 oz can of tomatoes?