The Best Vegan Protein Base – Soy Spiced Lentils & Quinoa
Set yourself up for the week with this simple, delicious, and versatile vegan protein base. Delicious in veggie roasts, burritos, salads, soup, pasta, and on its own, this combination is an excellent fridge staple. Just 4 ingredients and 20 minutes — that’s it! See my blog post and linked recipes for meal inspiration.
Interested in going plant based or vegan, and have lingering concerns about getting enough protein? Allow me to give you a painless head start. This make-ahead lentil and quinoa protein base is not only highly versatile, but surprisingly simple and tasty.
I’m not much of a make-ahead or bulk prep type of cook — the appeal of this approach can be difficult to grasp if you’re just cooking for one person. However, let me assure you it is a game changer to have this ready-made food in your fridge. Just four ingredients yield a surprisingly delicious flavor, and give you infinite freedom in meal applications.
Let’s dive in to plant-based protein and all the ways you can use this base!
All about vegan protein
How much is in this recipe and how much do I need?
Quinoa and lentils are both protein and fiber rich — they contain 18 and 8 grams of protein per cooked cup, respectively. Lentils contain a higher gram count, though quinoa is a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids the body needs. The fiber content in both will help keep you full and your digestion regular. This recipe yields about 4 cups of cooked quinoa and one cup of cooked lentils, giving it a total protein content of about 50 grams.
To put this in perspective, the Dietary Reference Intake report recommends men and women eat at least 56 and 46 grams of protein in a day, respectively. Eating half of these lentils and quinoa (2.5 cups) already puts you almost or over halfway there, just in one meal. Clearly though, you’ll need more protein throughout the day — which is where tofu, tempeh, edamame, legumes, grains, meat alternatives, nuts, seeds, and nut butters come in.
What can I expect and how can I approach the transition from animal to plant protein?
When adapting to a plant-based diet, do not be alarmed if your food volume intake increases substantially. In fact, you should expect this. Plant foods have far less caloric density than animal foods, so you will need to eat more than you’re used to as an omnivore to satiate yourself properly. If you are always hungry on a plant based diet, rest assured — that’s not how it’s supposed to be! Evaluating your food volume and macronutrient content in each meal is a great place to start troubleshooting. (Hint: apples and peanut butter is a snack, not a meal! Highly satiating meals contain carbs, protein, fat, fiber, and plenty of color).
It may seem like an overwhelming transition at first, which is why I highly recommend making plant-based substitutions in meals you already eat and enjoy. You may be surprised to learn that vegans eat all of the same foods as omnivores (pizza, burgers, mac n cheese, ice cream – you name it!), but just without the animal. As you ease in, it becomes much more approachable and exciting.
Should I be concerned about protein deficiency?
It’s true — most plant foods do not have as much protein per serving as meat does. However, they also don’t contain cholesterol, saturated fat (except for the meat alternatives), antibiotics, cancer promoting IGF-1, or hormones. (Yes, soy contains phytoestrogen, which is completely different than the mammalian estrogen found in dairy and is actually linked to a lower risk of breast cancer).
When analyzing nutrition content of different foods, it is important to not isolate individual attributes (like protein content) and instead examine everything that food brings to the table. While most Americans are concerned about getting enough protein (plant based or not), they neglect to notice a glaring deficiency already present — fiber, of which 95% of Americans do not eat enough.
As constipation remains a quiet health epidemic in the United States, there is something Americans are doing exceptionally well — getting enough protein. In fact, America’s apparent obsession with protein means most are consuming 100 grams per day — twice what is needed.
Furthermore, protein deficiency among vegans is all but unheard of. Quite the contrary — most vegans are still getting more protein than they need, even after eliminating all animal products. As only 10 to 15 percent of our daily calories should come from protein, meeting our protein needs are much easier than they seem, and really don’t require much effort at all. If you don’t have an underlying medical issue affecting your protein absorption or struggle with an overall calorie deficiency, you won’t need to worry about protein deficiency.
Instead, your priority should be celebrating how much better you feel as you introduce enough fiber and far more vitamins and minerals into your diet!
How to make a lentil and quinoa vegan protein base
Now that we’ve got some protein fast-facts out of the way, let’s review the painlessly easy steps in executing this vegan protein base:
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- ½ cup green/brown lentils, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils and quinoa in a mesh sieve.
- Add to a 3 or 4 quart pot with the water and soy sauce, mix.
- Bring contents to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until water is absorbed.
Vegan protein base meal applications
As this base is a relatively new creation, it hasn’t made it into a ton of my meals yet (at least — not into recipes I have yet perfected for sharing). For now, let me share some ideas, and add more links as I publish recipes.
This lentil and quinoa vegan protein base is best served:
- As a side to these banana oat pancakes
- Mixed in to a roasted root vegetable medley
- In a burrito with leafy greens, hummus, peppers, onion, and hot sauce
- Sprinkled cold over a salad
- In a hearty winter soup
- As a pasta topping
- As a base for vegan sloppy joes
Soy-spiced lentils and quinoa – the best make-ahead vegan protein base
Equipment
- Mesh sieve
- 3 to 4 qt pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed
- ½ cup green/brown lentils rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils and quinoa in a mesh sieve.
- Add to a 3 or 4 quart pot with the water and soy sauce, mix.
- Bring contents to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until water is absorbed.